OREANDA-NEWS. Japan has extended a two-year ban on all trade with North Korea. The corresponding decision of the cabinet of Yoshihide Sugi was reported on Tuesday, March 6, by the «Kyodo» news agency.

In addition, the sanctions measures imply a ban on the entry into the ports of Japan of ships registered in the DPRK, as well as ships anchored off the coast of North Korea. According to «Kyodo», Tokyo thus wants to increase pressure on Pyongyang to abandon it's nuclear and missile programs, as well as make progress in the situation with the previous abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korean agents.

The restrictive measures were extended due to the expected expiration of their validity on April 13. Earlier, on March 25, it became known, that the DPRK launched two missile shells in the direction of the Sea of Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, it was about ballistic missiles. As the «Yonhap» news agency recalled, North Korea is prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions from launching ballistic missiles.

Fragments of missiles fell outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan, an immediate threat to this country, according to the Japanese TV channel «NHK», did not arise. As the channel noted, these are the first ballistic missiles fired by the DPRK in almost a year. Against this background, the five member states of the UN Security Council demanded to convene an informal meeting. In addition, the Security Council committee on sanctions against the DPRK asked it's experts to study the North Korean launches.