Russia says only UN can lift N Korea sanctions

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (Reuters) Russia's top North Korea negotiator, Alexander Losyukov, said today only the United Nations, and not the countries in the six-way talks, could lift economic sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.

North Korea agreed with South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan earlier this week to dismantle its nuclear programme in exchange for aid.

But there was no mention of lifting sanctions on military equipment and luxury goods imposed by the United Nations after North Korea tested a nuclear device in October.

''Sanctions were imposed by the international community in a wider format. And so the question of cancelling them probably has to be looked at in a wider format,'' Losyukov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.

''But it is probably early to discuss them now.'' Luxury items banned from North Korea include iPods, jet skis and sports cars from the United States and beef, caviar and tuna from Japan.

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