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North Korean soldiers on the border with China (archive image)
Photo: imago stock / imago images / Kyodo News
The international sanctions against autocratic North Korea have existed for around 15 years.
China and Russia have now spoken out in favor of easing regulations.
This emerges from a corresponding draft resolution for the UN Security Council in New York, which is available to the dpa news agency.
Both countries wanted to "improve the quality of life of the civilian population in North Korea" by lifting trade restrictions on agricultural products, seafood, textiles and oil products.
In addition, according to the text, the ban on North Koreans from working abroad should also fall.
However, the move is not given any real chance of convincing a majority of the Security Council.
Tensions between the USA and other western states with Pyongyang remain high.
Just a few days ago, North Korea fired a submarine-supported ballistic missile, provoking it again.
The "new type" missile has "many advanced control and control technologies," the state news agency KCNA reported.
The UN Security Council called an emergency meeting.
Important step for the Kim regime
The projectile was fired from the same submarine as the first submarine-based ballistic missile tested by Pyongyang five years ago, according to KCNA.
The newspaper "Rodong Sinmun" published pictures showing how the black and white rocket emerges from calm waters and pulls a column of fire and smoke behind it.
An emerging submarine could also be seen in the photos.
Should North Korea actually be able to fire ballistic missiles from submarines, that would be a significant step in the armament efforts of the internationally isolated country.
Pyongyang could then launch attacks from locations other than the North Korean mainland - and would be able to react even after a possible attack on its military bases.
jok / dpa
