Daniel Glaser, US chief negotiator on the North Korean financial
issue, arrived for talks in Beijing Sunday.
Glaser, US Treasury Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for
terrorist financing and financial crimes, said upon arrival that he
hoped for productive meetings with his North Korean
counterparts.
The talks will begin Tuesday afternoon, prior to the resumption
of six-party talks on the Korean nuclear issue
expected early next month.
The financial sanctions imposed on North Korea form one of the
key stumbling blocks stalling the progress of the six-party
talks.
After 13 months, the talks restarted in December 2006, at which
time Glaser and President of North Korean Foreign Trade Bank O
Kwang-chol held the first North Korea-US consultations on the
financial sanctions.
The two sides, after two meetings, decided to continue the talks
this month, although North Korea later refused to do so in New
York.
China encouraged and supported direct US-DPRK contacts and the
creation of conditions for the resumption of the six-party talks,
said the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang.
Earlier this week, chief negotiators to the six-party talks from
the US, North and South Korea and Japan arrived in Beijing to meet
individually with Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei.
All sides expressed expectations for an imminent resumption of
the six-party talks. Further progress was also hoped for on
implementing a September 2005 joint statement, which would see
North Korea abandon its nuclear program in exchange for economic
aid and security guarantees.
It is hoped that the nuclear talks will restart before the Chinese Lunar New Year in mid-February.
(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2007)
