WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The United States
asked the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday to
"immediately" invite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors
back and shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a
statement that the DPRK must "realize fully its commitments ... by inviting back
the IAEA immediately to begin shutting and sealing the Yongbyon nuclear
facility."
The statement followed the visit of a U.S. delegation
led by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and former veteran affairs secretary
Anthony Principi, to Pyongyang earlier this week to ask the DPRK to fulfill its
obligations under a February deal to shut down the unclear facility.
However, the statement did not mention the fact that
Washington failed to resolve a dispute over DPRK funds frozen through U.S.
sanctions as part of the deal.
The DPRK has made it clear that it will allow IAEA
inspectors back and shut down the nuclear facility only after it confirms that
the funds were released.
The DPRK funds were frozen after the United States
blacklisted the Banco Delta Asia bank of Macao for allegedly helping Pyongyang
launder money, an allegation the bank has denied.
The dispute over the frozen funds has put a gloomy
prospect over the nuclear facility issue.
U.S. presidential candidate and governor of New
Mexico Bill Richardson, center, poses with his delegation members on
arrival at an airport in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, April 8, 2007.
(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
PYONGYANG, April 10 (Xinhua)-- Kim Yong Dae,
vice-president of the Presidium of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) Supreme People's Assembly, met the visiting U.S. delegation heade by New
Mexico state governor Bill Richardson here on Tuesday. Full stroy
BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- A solution that can be
accepted by all parties should be found for the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) frozen funds issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on
Tuesday.
Spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular press conference that
the settlement of the issue depends on whether the DPRK and the United States
could find a solution that takes the interests and concerns of all parties into
consideration and is accepted by all parties.
"As the relevant Chinese bank is a listed company,
it must fulfil its international obligations and abide by international laws and
regulations. The Chinese side, including the government of Macao Special
Administrative Region, also has its international obligations and concerns on
this issue," Qin said. Full story
WASHINGTON, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States
supports the Macau authorities in unblocking all DPRK-related accounts currently
frozen in the Macau bank Banco Delta Asia, the U.S. Treasury Department said in
a statement on Tuesday.
Based on previous discussions with officials from China,
China's Macau and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as well as
understandings reached with the DPRK on the use of these funds, the United
States would support a decision by the Macau authorities to unblock the accounts
in question, the statement said. Full story
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