Lugar releases CRS Report on North Korea Sanctions Implementation

U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member, released today a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on implementation of sanctions for North Korea.  

Following renewed interest in sanctions against North Korea in the wake of the sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan ship, which killed 46 individuals, Lugar asked the CRS to evaluate the implementation of the U.N. sanctions already in place.

In response to the report, Lugar stated:

“The CRS report on implementation of UNSCR 1874 targeting North Korea will be a relevant point of reference for future deliberation on sanctions targeting North Korea. The findings include a stark reminder that U.S. and China interests regarding North Korea are largely incongruent.  While the United States presses for elimination of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, China’s primary focus is on preserving regional stability.  China’s less than rigorous approach toward implementing sanctions targeting North Korea, should be a wake-up call to this White House in the ongoing development of its North Korea strategy.”

Senator Lugar’s original request to CRS and the recently completed report are available at http://lugar.senate.gov/issues/foreign/.

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