The delegations of the United States and North Korea will
continue to hold bilateral talks Wednesday over US financial
sanctions against Pyongyang, said US treasury official Tuesday
night.
On the sidelines of the six-party talks, the United States and
the North Korea held a separate meeting on financial issues in
Beijing. President of the North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank O Kwang
Chol held three-hour talks with Daniel Glaser, US Treasury
Department's deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and
financial crimes, at the US Embassy on Tuesday afternoon.
"The discussions offer a great opportunity for us to have an
initial exchange of views," said Glaser, warning a long-term
process is needed if the discussions will be productive.
Glaser said he and his North Korean counterpart will continue
financial talks in the North Korea embassy Wednesday.
Financial sanction imposed on the North Korea was one of key
stumbling blocks that had stalled the six-party talks for the
past13 months.
The fresh talks, which resumed Monday after a 13-month
suspension, entered the second day of negotiations on Tuesday,
focusing on the implementation of the joint statement in September
2005, under which North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear program
in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.
Formally known as the second phase of the fifth round since
2003, the talks involved China, North Korea, the United States,
South Korea, Japan and Russia.
(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2006)