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Friday May 11, 9:51 AMAso doubtful N. Korea will act speedily after funds release(Kyodo) _ Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Friday he is doubtful that North Korea will immediately implement initial steps for denuclearization even after North Korean funds frozen at a Macao bank are released."My sense is that there will be a mountain or two before we can move into initial steps," Aso told reporters. Aso said he believes that after North Korea confirms the release of the funds at Banco Delta Asia SARL in Macao, it could start making new requests in relation to the bank's transactions in the international financial system. He was alluding to the U.S. Treasury Department's decision to bar U.S. companies from doing business with the bank. Recent media reports say North Korea wants to transfer the money to financial institutions in other countries so as to maintain access in the international financial system without being blacklisted. The six parties to talks on the North Korean nuclear issue -- the United States, North and South Korea, Japan, Russia and China --agreed in February that North Korea would close and seal its Yongbyon nuclear complex and accept International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors as initial denuclearization steps. North Korea has refused to proceed with the six-party deal until it recovers the frozen funds. The Macao monetary authorities have unblocked the funds but the recovery of the money by North Korea has been stalled by what diplomats have described as technical financial problems. The roughly $25 million in funds was frozen after the United States blacklisted the bank in September 2005, alleging that it helped North Korea launder money and circulate counterfeit bills. |
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