North Korea: Show Me the Money
North Korea simply refuses to engage in the six-party talks until it receives $25 million in disputed funds. The disarmament deal struck by Washington and Pyongyang is now being held up by “technical problems.” U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill expressed his frustration: “The problem is, you can’t expect all these large delegations to sit around while it is being sorted out.”
AP via Yahoo:
Delegates at talks on disarming North Korea’s nuclear program voiced impatience Wednesday that the negotiations remained stalled for a second day over a dispute on when $25 million of Pyongyang’s funds will be released from a Macau bank.
North Korea said it would not take part in the six-party negotiations in China’s capital to meet goals outlined in a landmark Feb. 13 disarmament agreement until the money was transferred.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said it was upsetting that no talks had taken place while the problem was being resolved.
“While these forms have been filed out and faxes sent, while that is going on, our nuclear talks have not made progress. That has been the real opportunity cost to this,” he told reporters.