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BEIJING: The chief US envoy to North Korean nuclear disarmament talks insisted Friday that the Stalinist regime remained committed to ending its atomic programme, despite a dramatic breakdown in negotiations.
North Korea walked out of the six-nation talks on Thursday after four days of deadlock because US$25m in frozen funds had not been returned, despite pledges from the other parties that it would soon get the money.
With three weeks to go before North Korea is due to close its main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and allow United Nations atomic inspectors back into the country, US envoy Christopher Hill remained adamant the deadline could be met.
"I don't think there is a broader point here about whether they are committed to the nuclear deal. I think they are. Throughout the week, they reiterated that," Hill told reporters just before flying back to Washington.
Immediately following the breakdown in the talks on Thursday, Hill said that the six-party process remained "on track", while the US State Department also officially remained upbeat.
"All the parties are optimistic about the process and being able to meet the 60 days clock," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The envoys from China, the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia came together on Monday for their first meeting since signing an accord on February 13 that set a timetable for the North to begin disarming.
Under the accord, Pyongyang had 60 days to close its Yongbyon reactor and allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, who were kicked out in 2002, back into the country.
In return, North Korea would immediately receive 50,000 tonnes of heavy fuel for energy use.
North Korea would eventually receive one million tonnes of fuel oil or equivalent energy aid if it completely dismantled its nuclear weapons programme.
As part of the agreement, the United States said Monday it would allow for the release of US$25m of North Korean money frozen in a Macau bank since 2005 due to accusations of money laundering and counterfeiting.
The North had long insisted it would not begin disarming until it got the money back, and the US announcement raised expectations that the six-nation envoys would this week be able to discuss how to implement the accord.
But the money, which was meant to be transferred into a North Korean account at the Bank of China in Beijing, was never delivered.
While officials talked of "technical problems" for the delay, the Bank of China said late Thursday it had still not been asked to accept the transfer of the money.
The US State Department said the US Treasury's point man on the issue, Daniel Glaser, would travel to Beijing "relatively soon" in an effort to resolve the issue.
The State Department's McCormack said Glaser would "work with the Chinese on the technical details" of returning the US$25m to North Korea.
However, other six-nation envoys gave the impression the week's events had left them confused about how and when the financial sanctions issue would finally be resolved.
"Who knows... one week, I am not sure. Maybe it could take two or three weeks. I don't know," chief South Korean envoy Chun Yung-Woo said Friday when asked about when he thought North Korea would get its money. - AFP/yy
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