Switzerland will impose sanctions against North Korea in line with a U.N. Security Council resolution passed earlier this month, AP QUOTED the government sources as saying Wednesday. The sanctions will affect the import and export of goods and technology that could be used by Pyongyang to further its nuclear weapons and missile programs, the Swiss federal economy ministry said. A provisional list of goods has been drawn up and the ban will be enforced from Thursday, the ministry said, adding that services such as the procurement and financing of any such goods will also be prohibited. Switzerland said earlier this month that it would support U.N. Security Council resolution 1718, passed on Oct. 14 to punish the communist country for posing «a clear threat to international peace and security» by testing nuclear weapons. The resolution allows for cargo to and from North Korea to be stopped and inspected for prohibited goods, bans the import and export of certain military material, and imposes an asset freeze and travel bans on individuals and companies involved with the country's programs to produce weapons of mass destruction. Switzerland been accused in the past of lax controls on the export of sensitive goods which could be used by North Korea to develop weapons of mass destruction. In March, Swiss-based Kohas AG and its president, Jakob Steiger, had their assets frozen by the United States, which alleged that they had financial ties to a North Korean company that the U.S. government believes has engaged in transactions to spread WMD. Australia and Japan followed suit on the asset freeze in September. Swiss authorities have rejected the accusations against Kohas, saying the company had not engaged in any banned activities.
