US ambassador says US will work to solve financial restrictions against NKorea
(2 Nov 2006) SHOTLIST 1. Pan of lecture hall 2. Medium shot of US ambassador to South Korea, Alexander Vershbow, on stage 3. Close up of photographers 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alexander Vershbow, US ambassador to South Korea "We have to work together to find a solution because North Korea has to address the concerns that led to those financial measures, its various illicit activities that I mentioned before." 5. Wide shot of students in lecture hall 6. Medium shot of a student asking ambassador a question 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alexander Vershbow, US ambassador to South Korea "We want to resolve these issues because we do want to have a normal relationship with North Korea. We're not satisfied with the current situation. We would like to see North Korea begin to play by the rules of the international system and join the world rather than being left behind." 8. Medium shot of students 9. Wide shot of lecture 10.SOUNDBITE: (English) Alexander Vershbow, US ambassador to South Korea "We cannot simply ignore North Korean behaviour or let them operate outside the law when other countries are expected to abide by international law and international rules." 11. Medium shot of photographers 12. Medium shot of student giving flowers to Vershbow 13. Medium shot of Vershbow comes out from lecture hall 14. Medium shot of Vershbow leaving the building STORYLINE The main U.S. envoy to South Korea said on Thursday that the US government would seek to resolve financial restrictions on North Korea that have been a stumbling block to nuclear disarmament talks, adding that America hoped to eventually normalise relations with Pyongyang. U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said the United States had agreed to form a working group on the financial issue amid the six-nation nuclear talks that North Korea agreed this week to rejoin - the first sign of a relaxation of tensions after the North's October 9 nuclear test. "We have to work together to find a solution because North Korea has to address the concerns that led to those financial measures," he said, referring to its alleged "illicit activities" including counterfeiting, money laundering and drug smuggling. "We want to resolve these issues because we do want to have a normal relationship with North Korea," Vershbow said in a lecture to university students. The North has boycotted nuclear talks since November 2005, angered by U.S. financial restrictions that have limited its access to the international financial system. The U.S. blacklisted a Macau bank where the North held accounts, a move that prompted other countries to be wary of dealings with Pyongyang and severely limiting the regime's access to hard currency. Earlier this week, the top U.S. and North Korean envoys met in Beijing to broker a diplomatic breakthrough and jumpstart the nuclear talks. The North said Wednesday that it would return to talks on the premise that the financial restrictions would be "discussed and settled." Vershbow praised Pyongyang for returning to six-nation arms talks, but said there was a "long way to go" before the crisis is resolved. He said the U.S. had to enact the financial restrictions because of the North's alleged crimes, which he said included counterfeit. "We cannot simply ignore North Korean behaviour or let them operate outside the law when other countries are expected to abide by international law," he said. Still, the U.S. hopes the North sheds its pariah status to help better the lives of its people, who Vershbow said were missing out on the prosperity that has spread across northeast Asia. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
