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)