Russian official blames U.S. for breakdown of North Korean talks

COMBINED DISPATCHES
MOSCOW -- A deputy Russian foreign minister has blamed the failure of the sixth round of talks on the North Korean nuclear problem on the U.S. position.
At the sixth round of talks, which opened March 19 in Beijing, the United States agreed to unfreeze 25 million held in accounts in China's Macau Bank, which was blocked on money laundering suspicions. But as the money transfer was delayed, North Korea's chief negotiator, Kim Kye-Gwan, left Beijing on Thursday morning.
"It [the U.S.] pledged to do it [unfreeze North Korea's accounts], but the promise was not fulfilled," Alexander Losyukov told journalists on his return from Beijing, which hosted the six-party talks.
He said a date for a resumption of the sixth round of talks had yet to be scheduled.
Losyukov said the main reason behind the termination of the talks was the lack of any decision to unfreeze North Korean accounts.
The Bank of China refused Wednesday to transfer funds from North Korea's unfrozen accounts after Washington banned U.S. financial organizations from dealing with the Macao Bank.
Losyukov said the Bank of China also feared similar sanctions.
The six negotiators on North Korea include Russia, the United States, North and South Koreas, China and Japan.
The breakdown raises doubts over meeting a deadline in the Feb. 13 denuclearization agreement that calls for U.N. inspectors to verify the closure of North Korea's main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon by April 14.
But Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said he was still optimistic that disarmament deadlines can be met despite the breakdown.