The United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) will meet in Beijing on Jan. 30 to discuss financial
restrictions on the DPRK, the Treasury Department said Friday.
Daniel Glaser, the department's deputy assistant secretary for
terrorist financial and financial crimes who is leading a US
financial delegation, is due to meet next Tuesday with his DPRK
counterparts, the department said.
The scheduled talks follow discussions in December 2006 that ran
parallel to six-party talks over the DPRK's nuclear program.
The United States has imposed financial sanctions on the DPRK in
retaliation for alleged US dollar counterfeiting and money
laundering by Pyongyang.
Prior to December talks, the DPRK vowed that so long as it is
under US sanctions, it will not return to the six-party talks which
are aimed at ending its nuclear weapons drive.
US bans luxury exports to DPRK
The United States on Friday banned exports of luxury goods to
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including jet
skis, iPods, jewelry and fancy cars.
The decision to ban luxury exports to the DPRK was made by the
US Commerce Department in November 2006, but publication of a
formal rule to this effect was delayed until Friday so US
negotiator Christopher Hill could pursue talks aimed at persuading
the DPRK to end its nuclear programs, US officials said.
Hill, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, had talks
over resumption of six-party talks with Kim Kye-Gwan, top nuclear
negotiator from the DPRK in Berlin early last week. The three-day
talks were described as useful and productive.
The six-party talks, designed to solve nuclear issues on the
Korean peninsular, involves the DPRK, the United States, China, the
Republic of Korea, Japan and Russia.
Following the latest talks in December, the six parties are due
to have a new round of talks on Feb. 5-8.
(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2007)
