The United States and North Korea have resolved a standoff over North Korean funds frozen in a bank account in Macao, clearing the way for talks to focus on implementing a nuclear disarmament accord, Chinese and American officials said today.
An 18-month investigation into the bank ended last week, putting responsibility for returning the funds to North Korea in the hands of the authorities in Macao. But funds connected to illegal activities, like money laundering, counterfeiting, and narcotics and weapons trafficking, are not supposed to be returned.
The United States, North Korea, China, Russia, South Korea and Russia reached an initial agreement on Feb. 13 that gave North Korea 60 days to shut down its facility for producing plutonium for nuclear weapons at Yongbyon in return for aid and security pledges.
Bush administration officials initially raised allegations that the North had a clandestine uranium program underway in 2002, citing intelligence from Pakistan, which American officials said may have sold equipment for enriching uranium to North Korea.
Pyongyang has denied that it has sought to build bombs using highly enriched uranium, but North Korean officials have said recently that they are willing to discuss the matter with the United States.
An 18-month investigation into the bank ended last week, putting responsibility for returning the funds to North Korea in the hands of the authorities in Macao. But funds connected to illegal activities, like money laundering, counterfeiting, and narcotics and weapons trafficking, are not supposed to be returned.
The United States, North Korea, China, Russia, South Korea and Russia reached an initial agreement on Feb. 13 that gave North Korea 60 days to shut down its facility for producing plutonium for nuclear weapons at Yongbyon in return for aid and security pledges.
Bush administration officials initially raised allegations that the North had a clandestine uranium program underway in 2002, citing intelligence from Pakistan, which American officials said may have sold equipment for enriching uranium to North Korea.
Pyongyang has denied that it has sought to build bombs using highly enriched uranium, but North Korean officials have said recently that they are willing to discuss the matter with the United States.
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