N KOREA CALLS FOR A SWIFT END TO ALL SANCTIONS

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Pyongyang wants Washington to quickly lift all sanctions against North Korea once a stalemate over disputed funds in a Macao bank is resolved, according to a senior North Korean diplomat.

North Korea has delayed shutting down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, as called for under a February disarmament agreement signed after Pyongyang's first nuclear test last year, pending the return of about $25m from Macao's Banco Delta Asia, which the US Treasury had accused of money laundering.

Although Macao authorities have released the funds, North Korea is insisting on having the money returned through the international financial system to show banks they are allowed to deal with Pyongyang's money.

US officials are trying to find a US bank willing to handle the money.

“We have not yet seen any evidence that they have dropped their hostile policy towards us,” Kim Myong-gil, deputy head of North Korea's mission to the United Nations, told the Financial Times. “We want the US administration to drop all the financial sanctions against [North Korea],” adding that “of course” this included dropping the sanctions imposed following the nuclear test and North Korea's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

US officials say they are close to resolving the problem and North Korea has repeatedly said it remains committed to the deal.

“If the funds are transferred to our bank then we will take the appropriate actions like inviting [in International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors] and shutting down our nuclear reactors as agreed in the February 13 agreement,” Mr Kim said.



一位朝鲜高级外交官称，朝鲜政府希望，一旦澳门汇业银行(Banco Delta Asia)存在争议的资金问题得到解决，美国政府能迅速取消针对朝鲜的全部制裁。

朝鲜已经推迟了关闭其宁边核反应堆的时间，直至从澳门汇业银行收回被冻结的约2500万美元资金为止，美国财政部曾谴责该银行涉嫌洗钱活动。在去年朝鲜政府进行首次核试验后，各方于今年2月份达成一项弃核协议，要求朝鲜政府关闭其宁边核设施。

尽管澳门当局已解冻了这笔资金，但朝鲜坚持认为，这笔资金应通过国际金融体系予以返还，从而向各银行表明，它们可以经手朝鲜政府的资金。

美国官方正努力寻找一家愿意处理这笔资金的美国银行。

“我们还没看到有任何证据表明他们已放弃了对我们的敌对政策，”朝鲜驻联合国(UN)代表部公使金明吉(Kim Myong-gil)向英国《金融时报》表示，“我们希望美国政府放弃所有针对（朝鲜）的金融制裁，”他补充称，“当然”这包括放弃在朝鲜核试验、以及朝鲜被认定为恐怖主义支持国之后所实施的制裁。

美国官员表示，他们即将解决这一问题，而朝鲜则反复表示，仍致力于这一问题的解决。

金明吉表示：“如果这笔资金转移至我们的银行，那么我们将采取适当行动，如邀请（国际原子能机构(IAEA)核查人员）并按照2/13协议所达成的共识，关闭我们的核反应堆。”