NKorea, US to hold atomic, finance talks: Report

Tokyo, Jan 22: The United States and North Korea have agreed in principle to hold parallel talks on US financial restrictions and Pyongyang's nuclear programmes, Kyodo news agency reported today.

North Korea's focus on US financial restrictions has impeded progress in six-party talks on its nuclear programmes, the last round of which ended in December without progress.

Quoting diplomatic sources close to the talks in Beijing, Kyodo said that US negotiator Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, had agreed to the parallel talks when they met in Berlin last week.

The two men have returned to their capitals to discuss specifics and would hold more discussions on the plan during the next round of six-party talks.

Kyodo said that part of the Berlin agreement included US consideration of taking steps to release some of the 24 million dollar in North Korean accounts that have been frozen at the bank.

No further details were given, but US officials last week told Reuters that the US Treasury Department is scrutinising the accounts in Banco Delta Asia, which it has designated a ''money-laundering concern'', to see if some of the money could be considered legitimate and released to Pyongyang.

Washington accuses the bank of handling North Korean money gained from counterfeiting and smuggling.

Hill told reporters in Beijing today that he saw potential for progress in the six-party talks based on discussions held over the last week, but cautioned that there was no certainty of a breakthrough.

The six-party talks group Japan, China, Russia and the United States as well as the two Koreas.

REUTERS

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