The delegations of the United States and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will continue to hold bilateral talks Wednesday over U.S. financial sanctions against Pyongyang, said U.S. treasury official Tuesday night.

On the sidelines of the six-party talks, the United States and the DPRK held a separate meeting on financial issues in Beijing. President of the DPRK's Foreign Trade Bank O Kwang Chol held three-hour talks with Daniel Glaser, U.S. Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, at the U.S. 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 DPRK counterpart will continue financial talks in the DPRK embassy Wednesday.

Financial sanction imposed on the DPRK was one of key stumbling blocks that had stalled the six-party talks for the past 13 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 the DPRK 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, the DPRK, the United States, the ROK, Japan and Russia.

Source: Xinhua