North Korea talks stall again
21 March 2007
Six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program stalled again after
Pyongyang refused to participate until US$25 million deposited in a
Macau bank is unfrozen, the Wall Street Journal
reported. Japan's chief delegate said a meeting was canceled Tuesday
depite an apparent breakthrough on Monday. "There was no progress at
all today," said Kenichiro Sasae, noting that North Korea would not
return to the table despite repeated calls from China. The talks had
been frozen over a sticking point of money deposited in the Banco Delta
Asia, even after the US said the problem had been solved. North Korea
boycotted the talks for more than a year after Washington blacklisted
the small private bank. On Monday, the US said the money would be
transferred to a North Korean account in Beijing.