N Korea: US must lift sanctions

2006-04-09 20:57

Tokyo - Pyongyang said on Sunday it won't return to six-way talks on its nuclear weapons program unless the US lifts its sanctions on North Korean companies, clouding prospects for a breakthrough ahead of a security conference in Tokyo.

"Is there anything to do if the United States doesn't change its position?" Song Il Hyuck, a member of North Korean delegation, told The Associated Press.

Song said North Korea had never been opposed to the six-way talks on halting its nuclear programme, and that Pyongyang was ready to return to talks if the US lifted financial sanctions imposed on a Macau-based bank and North Korean companies for alleged illegal activities.

"First of all, the United States should remove the obstacle," Song said.

North Korean officials have no plans to hold bilateral meetings with their US counterparts, but would oblige if there was a request, Song said.

The comments came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity on the sidelines of a private security conference in Tokyo attended by delegates from the six-party nuclear talks, which had raised hopes that they would be able to find common ground on which to relaunch the stalled nuclear talks.

The nuclear talks - involving the US, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia - yielded an agreement last November by Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

But there has been no movement on implementing that pledge.

Washington has said the sanctions will stay in place and are not related to the nuclear negotiations.

- AP