Pyongyang: North Korea criticized the issuance of a report by the multilateral sanctions monitoring team on military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, describing it as a violation of its sovereign rights.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the report issued last Thursday by the monitoring team details illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, allegedly in violation of UN Security Council resolutions aimed at curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs. The Head of North Korea’s foreign policy bureau described the report as a “political provocation,” accusing the team of fabricating allegations against the cooperative relations between North Korea and Russia.

The official criticized the legitimacy of the monitoring team, labeling it as a “fake team with no legitimacy in terms of existence and purpose.” He stated that the report represents a violation of international law principles, specifically sovereign equality and non-interference in the internal affairs of nations. The statement warned of potential consequences arising from what was termed “reckless actions.”

North Korea further claimed that the monitoring team acts as a “political tool” aligned with Western geopolitical interests, asserting that it lacks justification to interfere with other countries’ sovereign decisions. The team was established last October by South Korea and the United States to monitor sanctions on North Korea, following the dissolution of the previous UN panel due to a Russian veto.