Pyongyang, October 3 (KCNA) -- A spokesperson for the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) of the DPRK for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism released the following press statement on October 3:

The Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering decided to deprive the DPRK of its observer position at the APG's 26th general assembly held in the United Arab Emirates on September 24.

The reason why the DPRK joined the group as an observer was to clearly show that it has nothing to do with all sorts of crimes, including money laundering and fomentation of terrorism.

The transparency of the DPRK was proved objectively and fully through the sincere implementation of its obligations, including its accession to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2016 and the amendment and supplement of its domestic law on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism after it joined the group.

However, the group which yielded to and followed in the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK to deprive the DPRK of its normal rights to development at any cost has persistently turned its face away from the sincere efforts and transparent measures taken by the DPRK.

In particular, the group has designated the DPRK as a "state subject to countermeasures" every year since 2011 under the pressure of the U.S., which has groundlessly branded it as the "money laundering criminal state" and the "state sponsor of terrorism", and has forced other countries to ban all financial transactions with the DPRK.

The decision of the group to deprive the DPRK of its position as an observer is an inevitable result pursuant to the hostile policy of the U.S. considering the independent and just sovereign states as a thorn in its flesh.

This proves that the group, which should have promoted the sound development of international relations and the regional peace and security, has turned into a mouthpiece group playing at the hands of the U.S. keen on realizing world domination.

We have no regret that we have not held intercourse with the group which has been reduced to a political tool of the U.S.

The DPRK has a consistent principled stand against money laundering and financing of terrorism and it will continue to strive for it. -0-