Canada on Thursday said it will deploy a military aircraft to Japan to support implementation of United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.
Deployment of the Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora Aircraft was announced by Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand.
For about six weeks, the CP-140 Aurora will monitor for suspected maritime sanctions evasion activities, in particular ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and other commodities banned by the Security Council, the Canadian government said.
North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Late in March, North Korea tested a new nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, its state media reported, as leader Kim Jong Un warned joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S. should stop.
China and Russia have also blamed joint military drills by the United States and South Korea for provoking Pyongyang. Meanwhile, Washington has accused Beijing and Moscow of emboldening North Korea by shielding it from more sanctions.
For the past several years, the Security Council has been divided over how to deal with Pyongyang. Russia and China, veto powers along with the United States, Britain and France, have said more sanctions will not help and want such measures to be eased.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)
