US, South Korea discuss North sanctions

Robert Einhorn, the US State Department's special
adviser for non-proliferation and arms control


Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=137149§ionid=351020405


A senior US official responsible for implementing sanctions against North Korea has held talks with South Korean officials about new financial penalties on Pyongyang.

Robert Einhorn, the State Department's special adviser for non-proliferation and arms control, held talks with Seoul officials on Monday, AFP reported.

"Our hope is that these measures will be effective, that they will provide strong incentives for North Korea's leaders to abide by their international obligations, not to pursue any provocative activities and to fulfill completely their commitments to denuclearization on the Korean peninsula," Einhorn told reporters.

The visit comes two weeks after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that the US would impose new financial sanctions on North Korea.

Clinton announced measures "to prevent North Korea's proliferation, to halt their illicit activities that help fund their weapons programs and to discourage further provocative actions."

She further noted that the new penalties would target the sale and purchase of arms and related goods used to fund the country's nuclear activities.

The United States and South Korea have also urged the communist state to admit it staged a deadly attack on one of Seoul's warships, killing 46 sailors.

Seoul and Washington accuse North Korea of torpedoing the vessel, citing the findings of a multinational investigation into the incident.

The North has rejected the accusation as a "smear campaign," insisting that its navy did not torpedo the South Korean ship.