U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said here Friday that he does not believe the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is stalling on a pledge to abandon its nuclear weapons.

Addressing an audience at the Johns Hopkins University school of international studies, Hill attributed the delay by the DPRK to abide by a six-party agreement to stop its nuclear operations to objective difficulties in getting its frozen money.

The chief U.S. negotiator at six-party talks, designed to solve nuclear issues on the Korean peninsula, said the process of getting the DPRK its money has proven extraordinarily complex.

"I know it's tough to watch the days roll by," Hill said. "We think our best interest is in being patient."

Because of the lingering financial disputes between the United States and the DPRK, the DPRK missed an April 14 deadline to close its main nuclear reactor, which was specified as the first implementation phase of the Feb. 13 disarmament agreement.

The DPRK has pledged to fulfill its commitment to implement the Feb. 13 agreement, saying it would invite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation to the country once it retrieves the 25 million U.S. dollars in funds frozen in Macao's Banco Delta Asia.

Washington has said the DPRK is free to recover the money.

Source: Xinhua