By Mari Yamaguchi, AP writerBEIJING Talks on North Korea's nuclear program stalled again Tuesday with Pyongyang refusing to take part until US$25 million (euro19 million) frozen in a Macau bank is released, Japan's chief envoy said.Kenichiro Sasae said a meeting of top envoys at the six-nation talks was canceled Tuesday afternoon because Pyongyang refused to participate, despite an apparent breakthrough a day earlier when the U.S. said a 19-month dispute over the frozen funds had been resolved.
"There was no progress at all today," Sasae said. "China as chairman (of the talks) urged North Korea to come to the table but they would not come."
The talks — among the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, Russia and China — resumed Monday shortly after U.S. Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Daniel Glaser said the North Korean funds frozen in Macau's Banco Delta Asia would be transferred to a North Korean account at the Bank of China in Beijing to be "used solely for the betterment of the North Korean people."
Read More
