A German warship has arrived in Japan to help monitor potential North Korean sanctions violations in the Indo-Pacific for the first time ever this month, according to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

The “presence and training” mission has been in the works for months, and the U.S. secretary of defense previously discussed the deployment with his German counterpart. It comes as Russia and China are pushing for DPRK sanctions relief at the U.N. and as North Korea has increased trade activities at sea.

“From mid-November, German Navy frigate ‘Bayern’ will engage in monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit