France said on Thursday it was inspecting a North Korean ship at the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte as part of U.N. measures against Pyongyang following its nuclear test last month, according to Reuters. The Oct. 9 test drew widespread condemnation and U.N. sanctions were applied under a Security Council resolution backed by China, the reclusive state's long-time backer. "We are exercising particular vigilance toward cargo transported by North Korean ships as well as those coming from or going to North Korea," French foreign ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said in an electronic press briefing. "In applying these measures, the customs service is currently carrying out a complete and thorough inspection of the goods and crew of a North Korean ship visiting Mayotte." Mayotte is a French territory off the east coast of Africa. The Security Council imposed selective financial, commercial and arms sanctions on Pyongyang on Oct. 14. The resolution allows nations to stop cargo going to and from North Korea to check for weapons of mass destruction or related supplies. Mattei noted that the European Union was soon expected to lay out its own restrictions against North Korea. France would like a committee created by the U.N. resolution to define what items were covered by a ban on luxury goods trade with North Korea, he said.
