YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. The United States and South Korea this week launched a new task force aimed at preventing North Korea from procuring illicit oil, Reuters reports.

The first meeting of the Enhanced Disruption Task Force (EDTF) was held in Washington on March 26. The meeting involved more than 30 officials from ministries and agencies in charge of diplomacy, intelligence, sanctions, and maritime interdiction, the agency reports citing South Korea's foreign ministry statement.

"Oil is an essential resource for North Korea's nuclear and missile development and military posture," the statement said.

The two sides expressed concern over the possibility of Russia providing refined oil to North Korea, and discussed ways to suspend illegal cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, the statement added.

The U.S.-South Korea task force is considering potential actions to disrupt North Korea's refined oil procurement networks including exposing sanctions evasion activities, levying unilateral sanctions designations, and engaging private sector and third-party actors throughout the region who either knowingly or unwittingly facilitate oil shipments, the U.S. State Department said.

Under UNSC restrictions imposed over North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, Pyongyang is limited to importing 4 million barrels of crude and 500,000 barrels of refined products a year, the report adds.