(Crickets from DND)

Surveillance activities by related countries against ship-to-ship transfers (updated April 3, 2023)

Canada’s surveillance activities against illegal maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of North Korean vessels

In response to illegal maritime activities, including “ship-to-ship transfers” of North Korean-flagged vessels, which are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions, Canada will be stationed in Japan based on the UN Status of Forces Agreement from early April to mid-May. We are planning to conduct warning and surveillance activities by aircraft for the ninth time since 2018, using the U.S. Kadena Air Base.

For Japan, the international community will work together to achieve the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges by North Korea. We welcome these efforts from the perspective of ensuring the effectiveness of the resolution.

The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces will continue to cooperate closely with relevant countries, as the Maritime Self-Defense Force is collecting information on vessels suspected of violating United Nations Security Council resolutions.