Australia to ban North Korean ships from its ports
Australia will ban North Korean ships from entering its ports in a toughening of Canberra’s response to the North’s recent nuclear weapons test, the foreign minister announced today.
Australia has strongly backed a stiff international response to the North’s claimed nuclear test last Monday, and has backed last week’s UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on the communist state.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia would impose the port ban in addition to sanctions called for by the UN.
“We will introduce a ban on North Korean vessels visiting Australian ports, except in the most dire of emergencies,” Downer told Parliament.
“I think that will help Australia make a quite clear contribution to the United Nations sanctions regime,” Downer said.
The UN resolution calls on all countries to inspect cargo from North Korea to prevent any illegal weapons trafficking and orders nations to freeze assets linked to North Korean weapons programmes, and ban individuals involved from travelling.
Downer has said Australia might go even further, and supply naval ships to a force that could stop and search North Korean ships.
“It is possible that Australia could become involved in helping to enforce the sanctions, but those details still have to be worked out,” Downer said.
Prime minister John Howard said Australia would consider any request for such help, but that it was “too early” to make a commitment.
