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US to Call Special Session of UNSC on North Korea - Source

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The US mission to the United Nations will call on Monday the special session of the UN Security Council on sanctions against North Korea, a diplomatic source told Sputnik.
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"Yes, the United States is calling the Security Council's [session] on Monday," the source said.

On Wednesday, Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations' press secretary Fedor Strzhizhovskiy told reporters that Moscow had waived objections to the UN report prepared by an independent group of experts on sanctions against North Korea as they took into account changes proposed by the Russian mission.

North Korea Reportedly Concealing Further Nuclearization from US Intelligence
In turn, US Envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley has accused Russia of interfering in a UN report on the implementation of North Korea sanctions by pressuring the experts.

The United Nations has introduced multiple sanctions against North Korea in response to its repeated missile launches and nuclear tests. The organization, in particular, has restricted oil exports to Pyongyang, banned imports of textile products from North Korea as well as the country's access to gas liquids. The sanctions also include measures on closer inspections of cargo ships coming in and out of North Korea.

READ MORE: N Korea Dismantling Facilities at Intercontinental Missile Launch Site – Reports

On Wednesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said that Moscow would raise the issue of easing the economic restrictions against Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, US intelligence reportedly believes that Pyongyang was stepping up efforts to conceal its nuclear program following the historic summit between its leader Kim Jon-un and US President Donald Trump. In particular, US intelligence officials have told NBC News that North Korea had capability to produce five to eight nuclear weapons this year, and the pace is unchanged from the assessment made prior to the summit.

READ MORE: 'War' in Washington Against Peace Deal With North Korea

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However, South Korean media reported earlier that the satellite images made in July showed that the facilities used for preparing carrier rockets and testing missile engines were being dismantled.

North Korea made rapid progress in nuclear research last year, conducting its strongest atomic test to date and testing a series of ICBMs. After a flurry of diplomacy culminating in a June 12 summit, Pyongyang agreed to back down and denuclearize.

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