U.S. imposes sanctions on Russian firms for relations with North Korea

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

The U.S. Treasury Department included three Russian companies in the sanctions list, Interfax news agency reported.

Independent Oil and Gas Company headed by ex-chief executive of Rosneft Eduard Khudainatov, its subsidiary Primorsknefteprodukt and Ardis-Bearings LLC were included into the “black list”.

The sanctions list also included a Russian citizen, Igor Michurin, who is affiliated with Korea Tangun Trading Corporation.

The relevant information was published on May 31 on the website of the U.S. department.

The U.S. Treasury Department noted that Michurin is the head of Ardis-Bearings LLC, which provides supplies to the North Korean company to Tangun,which provides equipment for the WMD program]. “Ardis-Bearings LLC is a company that provides supplies to Tangun, and Michurin is a frequent business partner of Tangun officials in Moscow,” the message reads.

Another Russian firm, Independent Petroleum Company, and a subsidiary were blacklisted for signing a contract to provide oil to North Korea and shipping over $1 million worth of petroleum products to North Korea.

One Congolese and two North Korean citizens were subjected to individual sanctions as well. The blacklist also included several North Korean legal entities, a safari club in the Congo, as well as North Korean People's Army, Ministry of Defense and State Commission.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that Moscow is concerned by the U.S. decision to sanction a Russian citizen and firms over alleged connections to North Korea.

The new sanctions would not help efforts to restore relations between Moscow and Washington, according to the diplomat.

The United States has struggled to slow North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, which has become a security priority.

The Security Council first imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear tests and two long-range missile launches.

North Korea is threatening a sixth nuclear test and has conducted repeated missile tests this year.