A former Russian diplomat with decades of experience and contact with Pyongyang will soon begin a role as the newest member to the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) Panel of Experts (PoE) for sanctions on North Korea, informed sources told NK News. 

The appointment of Georgy Toloraya, who is set to officially begin on June 15, was announced in an April-dated UN document signed by UN Secretary General António Guterres.

He replaces former Russian member Dmitry Kiku as the panel’s “customs and export controls” expert.

That document also announced the appointment of replacements for the Chinese and UK representative members,