The delegations of the United States and North Korea will continue to hold bilateral talks Wednesday over US financial sanctions against Pyongyang, said US treasury official Tuesday night.

On the sidelines of the six-party talks, the United States and the North Korea held a separate meeting on financial issues in Beijing. President of the North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank O Kwang Chol held three-hour talks with Daniel Glaser, US Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, at the US Embassy on Tuesday afternoon.

"The discussions offer a great opportunity for us to have an initial exchange of views," said Glaser, warning a long-term process is needed if the discussions will be productive.
Glaser said he and his North Korean counterpart will continue financial talks in the North Korea embassy Wednesday.

Financial sanction imposed on the North Korea was one of key stumbling blocks that had stalled the six-party talks for the past13 months.

The fresh talks, which resumed Monday after a 13-month suspension, entered the second day of negotiations on Tuesday, focusing on the implementation of the joint statement in September 2005, under which North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees.

Formally known as the second phase of the fifth round since 2003, the talks involved China, North Korea, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2006)