New North Korea talks said possible in next 10 days

WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) A fresh round of six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear ambitions may take place in the next 10 days or so, a senior State Department official said.

''In the next 10 ten days or so I think that there is a possibility of their reconvening but we don't have any done deals yet,'' said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition he not be named.

The talks, which include the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, last year produced an agreement under which North Korea said it was committed ''to abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.'' In return, the other nations held out economic, political and security incentives.

Earlier, in a dispatch datelined Tokyo, the Russian Itar-Tass news agency quoted ''informed sources in the Japanese capital'' as saying the talks could restart on December 16.

Separately, President George W Bush yesterday imposed sanctions on North Korea that appear to have little practical impact in retaliation for Pyongyang's successful October 9 nuclear test.

US law requires a cut-off in US nuclear cooperation and in financial assistance to any state Washington believes should be non-nuclear that detonates a nuclear weapon. North Korea falls into that category.

The sanctions imposed by the president require the cut-off in nuclear cooperation and in financial assistance. But since the United States does not provide either to North Korea, the sanctions put in place by Bush have little practical impact.

US humanitarian assistance is not affected and will continue, a White House official said.

''These sanctions in no way undermine the president's long-standing commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of the North Korean people and the commitment to denuclearise North Korea through the six-Party talks,'' the official said.

The order by Bush did not affect a separate effort by the US government to make it harder for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to acquire luxury items such as cognac, jet skis and plasma televisions.

REUTERS PB SSC1032