BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Kim Kye-Gwan, top
negotiator of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), arrived here
Saturday morning for the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
Kim Kye-Gwan, top negotiator of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),
arrived in Beijing Saturday morning.(Xinhua
Photo) Photo
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The DPRK would not shut down the Yongbyon nuclear
reactor if the United States did not first lift financial bans on DPRK accounts
in the Banco Delta Asia (BDA), a Macao-based bank, Kim told reporters upon his
arrival in Beijing for a new round of the six-party talks scheduled to open on
Monday.
Kim, DPRK's vice foreign minister, said the DPRK has
not received any notification regarding the lifting of financial sanctions yet.
He said it is "unnecessary" for the DPRK and the
United States to set up liaison offices. Concerning the HEU (Highly Enriched
Uranium) issue, the DPRK is willing to cooperate with the United States, and the
DPRK would like to explain if the U.S. side provides evidence, Kim said.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Wednesday a
plan to resolve the financial dispute with the DPRK by formally barring U.S.
financial institutions from dealing with the BDA.
The United States slapped sanctions on the BDA in
2005 and put it on a money-laundering blacklist, prompting Macao to freeze the
24 million dollars believed to belong to the DPRK. In return, the DPRK boycotted
the subsequent six-party talks for more than one year.
As part of the nuclear deal reached during the
six-party talks in Beijing on Feb. 13, the United States agreed to settle the
financial dispute with the DPRK within 30 days. The United States has accused
the DPRK of using the bank to launder illegal earnings and the DPRK has urged
the United States to lift the sanctions.
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) told negotiators it has started preparations for
shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear facilities, chief negotiator of the Republic
of Korea Chun Yung Woo said here Saturday. Full story>>
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