U.S. Nuclear Envoy Says Financial Dispute With N. Korea Is Resolved

Thursday, March 15th 2007, 10:02 pm

By: News On 6

BEIJING (AP) _ The top U.S. nuclear envoy said Friday that he felt a dispute over North Korean funds held in Macau that had possibly threatened international efforts to rid Pyongyang of its nuclear weapons had been resolved.

Washington promised to resolve its blacklisting of the tiny Banco Delta Asia and the freezing of $24 million in North Korean deposits as an inducement to Pyongyang to rejoin international talks on its nuclear ambitions. A U.S. Treasury Department decision Wednesday ordering U.S. banks to sever ties with Banco Delta Asia appeared to fall short of expectations.

But U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said he was confident North Korea would fulfill its obligations to close its main nuclear reactor in exchange for energy aid and political concessions. ``I think they want assurances that the Banco Delta Asia issues is resolved and we can give them those assurances that it is resolved.''