The delegations of the United States and Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) will continue to hold bilateral talks today over US financial
sanctions against Pyongyang, said US treasury official last night.
On the sidelines of the six-party talks, the United States and the DPRK held
a separate meeting on financial issues in Beijing. President of the DPRK's
Foreign Trade Bank O Kwang Chol held three-hour talks with Daniel Glaser, U.S.
Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and
financial crimes, at the U.S. 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 DPRK counterpart will continue financial talks in the
DPRK embassy Wednesday.
Financial sanction imposed on the DPRK 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 September2005, under which the DPRK 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, the DPRK, the United States, the ROK, Japan and Russia.
