DPRK: RUSSIAN VIEWS ON IMPLEMENTING UNSCR 1695

C O N F I D E N T I A L MOSCOW 009311 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP MNUC KN RS SUBJECT: DPRK: RUSSIAN VIEWS ON IMPLEMENTING UNSCR 1695 REF: STATE 136495 Classified By: Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Alice Wells. R easons: 1.4(B/D). ¶1. (C) Russia will comply with the requirements of UNSCR Resolution 1695 but is unlikely to adopt additional legal requirements directed against the DPRK's missile or WMD programs. MFA Korea Section Chief Aleksandr Vostrikov told us August 23 that responsibility for implementing the resolution's requirements would be shared among Foreign Ministry departments and other law enforcement and financial agencies. Russia was committed to implementing the resolution, but was unwilling to consider UN Security Council sanctions against the DPRK because they would destroy any hope of achieving a negotiated solution through Six Party talks. ¶2. (C) Vostrikov noted that Russia had a strong record of bilateral cooperation with the U.S. in countering terrorism finance and financial crimes and was involved in multilateral fora aimed at stemming criminal financial activity. He said that Moscow would be responsive to allegations that Russian entities were being used to transfer financial resources to the DPRK's missile or WMD programs, noting that following U.S. warnings last year, Russian banks had been cautioned about entering into new relationships with North Korea. He observed that Russia had also taken steps over the last several years to tighten its export controls. He said he was unaware of any special action or new legislation or regulations that would be needed to implement UNSCR 1695 requirements. ¶3. (C) Peter Ilyechev of the MFA International Organizations Department's UN Political Affairs Office told us on August 24 that the reftel proposals for stopping land, air and maritime proliferation can be addressed through existing nonproliferation regimes, such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and the Missile Technology Control Regime. Ilyechev also said that DPRK entities which could face financial measures should be listed by the UNSC. ¶4. (C) We provided reftel points August 25 to the MFA Department for Disarmament and Security Affairs (DVBR) Export Control Policy Section. The Section promised to review the information. BURNS