Press Availability With Director-General Kenichiro Sasae

QUESTION: So, how was the meeting?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, it was a very good meeting. It was an opportunity for me to brief the Director-General on our Treasury team in Beijing and how we might see the way forward on the BDA issue. It was a good opportunity to discuss where the denuclearization requirements stand, because this is a very important week, because we’re coming up to the 60-day period. And we also had the occasion to discuss the abduction question.

QUESTION: So are you still optimistic about financial issues?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: You know, it is hard to say. We have really worked very hard with the Macau authorities, with the Beijing government, also with the DPRK. I think we have a way forward, but we have to see if it will work. Frankly, I think the best way that the DPRK could have better access to the international financial system is if they denuclearize -- because, not surprisingly, the fact that the DPRK is engaged in production of nuclear weapons has certainly given a lot of scrutiny to their international finances.

QUESTION: So do you see any chance of concluding these issues and ending by the end of tomorrow?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: We’ll have to see. Tomorrow is the first banking day in Macau in several days. Macau is closed today; it was closed on Friday. So we’ll have to see if we can make some progress. Ask me tomorrow.

QUESTION: Do you think that the Six-Party Talks needs to set new deadline for planning steps in the initial arrangement?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: I think we have to see how we do this week. We feel we have a very good plan. We feel that the February arrangements were a very good step in implementing the September ’05 agreement. We have, I think, a good plan to follow up those first 60 days as well. So we want to keep that plan intact. We have to see if we can get through this financial issue. And we’ll know in the next couple of days how we’re doing on that.

QUESTION: What about accepting a new deadline? Wait and see?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, we have to wait and see how we’ll do in the next day or two on this financial issue. We have never felt that it should have held up the nuclear process. Unfortunately, it has. As I said, we have some ideas for how to go forward, and we’ll see if we can do that in the next couple of days.

QUESTION: Can you predict which comes first, (Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke) Matsuzaka victory, or the next Six-Party Talks?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Is Matsuzaka pitching on Tuesday?

QUESTION: Yes.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: That’s hard to say, because I’m sure he’ll win on Tuesday. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: So it’s very hard to see next Six-Party Talks. It cannot (be) held by Thursday --

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, again, we want to move very quickly on the Six-Party Talks. We have really an excellent plan. So the issue is, can we get through the elements of that in the next few days? And a key aspect will be how we do in the next couple of days on this Macau matter.

QUESTION: North Korea is going to shut down its nuclear facility?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: They are required to do so as part of the February agreement, but they have taken the view that they need to have their moneys returned to them in the Macau bank before they’ll do that. So they have not engaged on these nuclear issues until there’s progress in Macau.

QUESTION: Is it possible that North Korea is not going to shut down its nuclear facility?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILL: Well, I don’t know. Tonight is Monday night, so it’s too early to say that.