Russia will not support moves to “suffocate” North Korean economy – Foreign Minister

Russia will not support moves that would “suffocate” the North Korean economy and lead to dire humanitarian consequences, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday.
Lavrov while addressing a news conference said: “we cannot support the ideas that some of our partners continue to nourish and that are aimed literally at the economic suffocation of North Korea with all the negative, tragic humanitarian consequences for the North Korean citizens.”
On Aug. 5, UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions against North Korea that could cut the nation’s annual export revenue by one billion dollars, or an estimated one-third of its annual foreign exchange earnings.
Lavrov also said Russia hopes that the U.S. will not violate its obligations under the deal on the Iranian nuclear program, as well as that Tehran will not quit the agreement.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told lawmakers that Tehran could withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) within hours if the U.S. continued to escalate sanctions rhetoric.
“As far as president Rouhani’s claims that Iran could quit the JCPOA was reached on resolution of the situation with the Iranian nuclear programme are concerned, I hope this will not happen.
“I also hope that the United States will not violate its obligations under the JCPOA,” Lavrov said. (Sputnik/NAN)