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U.S. Department of State

Daily Press Briefing

INDEX
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1999
Briefer: JAMES P. RUBIN

 

14,15

Sanctions / MiG sales to North Korea / Humanitarian aid is provided to N Korea

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
DPB #142
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1999, 1:20 P.M.
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

................

QUESTION: On another question of weapons sales - has the US placed imposed sanctions on Kazakhstan for its MiG sales to North Korea?

MR. RUBIN: There are specific circumstances under American law that requires us to withhold assistance from foreign governments that transfer lethal military equipment. We are permitted to waive sanctions in whole or in part if we determine to do so. In accordance with these laws we have determined that Kazakhstan has transferred lethal military equipment, specifically MiG-21 fighter aircraft, to North Korea. We have imposed sanctions on the firms directly involved in the transactions. The Kazakhstan-owned Uralsk Plant Metallist and the private Czech firm Agroplast and against certain Agroplast officials.

We did impose and then waive sanctions against the Kazakhstan Government, which has been cooperating closely with us in the investigation follow up on this sale. We are, in addition to cutting off USG assistance - government assistance - we are taking the necessary steps to ban procurement from and prohibiting export of munitions-list items to these companies and individuals. We're also looking at the possibility of imposing additional measures.

These firms were directly responsible for selling and arranging delivery to North Korea of the equipment in question. These sanctions will remain in force until one year after the transfers of lethal equipment have ceased or until we determine that it is important to our interests to waive this sanction.

With respect to what was at stake here in terms of assistance, approximately $14 million in assistance to the Kazakhstan Government was potentially affected under the provision. But obviously we waived that. We are going to continue to review all the applicable information we have to ensure that the specific entities that were sanctioned don't get any assistance.

We have discussed these transfers intensively with the Kazakhstan Government. The government candidly admitted that the transfer occurred contrary to official government policy and they have cooperated with our investigation into the transfers. Our decision reflects this cooperation. We will continue to urge that Kazakhstan uphold its commitment not to transfer lethal military equipment to North Korea and we will be working with Kazakhstan on increasing its cooperation with the US Government, including implementing stringent export control measures to prevent such transfers in the future.

Kazakhstan has undertaken its own investigation of this matter and we understand that it may pursue violators of Kazakhstani export control and related laws in connection with this transfer in the future.

QUESTION: What are the sanctions against the companies?

MR. RUBIN: This would prohibit, I mentioned earlier on, this would prohibit government procurement from and export of US munitions items to and munitions list item imports from these companies and individuals.

QUESTION: Was it a government-owned company which did the --

MR. RUBIN: It was a government-owned company. Yes, Uralsk Plant Metallist.

QUESTION: Is it credible that the government didn't know that MiGs were being --

MR. RUBIN: We believe, as a result of our cooperation with the government, that they - the government worked with us to - there were a number of steps taken against the officials involved that made us believe that they were serious about dealing with the problem and we made our judgment of how to proceed based on the extensive cooperation we received in this investigation.

QUESTION: Did it change the balance, the arms balance in the Korean Peninsula?

MR. RUBIN: I don't believe they ever got there. Let me check that.

Yes, we're talking about 40 aircraft and they did get there and I don't believe that, since they are 1960s vintage technology aircraft, they are not deemed to be militarily significant.

QUESTION: Do you have a spelling for those?

MR. RUBIN: The companies? The Kazakhstani company is spelled Uralsk Plant Metalist, U-R-A-L-S-K Plant Metalist. The Czech firm, private firm, is called Agroplast, just the way it sounds.

QUESTION: When do sanctions go into effect?

MR. RUBIN: In the last couple of days, November 17.

QUESTION: Is North Korea under any injunctions from the United States, in view of the help they're getting from us, not to be buying equipment like that?

MR. RUBIN: I don't believe we are giving them much help, Roy. In fact, we put them on a number of lists that make it impossible to provide foreign assistance to North Korea. We do provide humanitarian food aid and we have made it a policy in this government to try to separate humanitarian food aid for starving people from other types of assistance.

...................

(The briefing was concluded at 2:15 p.m.)

 

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