2006年VOA标准英语-Rice Says Nuclear Talks, North Korea Sanctions,

By David Gollust
State Department
22 December 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Thursday rejected linkage¹ between talks on North Korea's nuclear program and U.S. penalties on Pyongyang for illicit² financial activity. North Korean efforts to connect the two are said to have stalled the latest round of six-party nuclear talks in Beijing. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

 
Condoleezza Rice 
Secretary Rice says the nuclear talks and the financial penalties are separate issues and that negotiators in Beijing should not be diverted from the goal of achieving a nuclear free Korean peninsula.

Late last year, the U.S. Treasury³ Department imposed sanctions against a Chinese bank in Macao, Banco Delta⁴ Asia, it said was being used as a hub for illicit North Korean activity, including the passing of counterfeit⁵ U.S. currency.

Although North Korea had agreed in principle in September of last year to give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees, it refused to return to the nuclear talks after last November because of the sanctions.

The six-party talks reconvened earlier this week, but reports from Beijing Thursday said they have stalled, with Pyongyang refusing to discuss disarmament until the financial issues were resolved.

 
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (r) and Canada's Foreign Minister Peter MacKay 
In a joint⁷ press appearance here with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, Secretary Rice said the United States had made good on a promise to set up a working group within the six-party talks to deal with the financial issue, and that the matter should not further impede⁸ the nuclear talks.

"Diplomacy⁹ sometimes takes time, but we should not be diverted somehow by an issue that is clearly in another lane, and is clearly being dealt with in a way that the North Koreans themselves asked that it be dealt with," said Condoleezza Rice. "We cannot be diverted from what we need to do in the six-party talks, which is to have the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Rice said the working group on Banco Delta Asia met twice this week in the Chinese capital and is likely to convene⁶ again in New York next month, and that this is the appropriate track for resolving the financial issues.

Earlier this week in Beijing, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Christopher Hill hinted at progress in efforts to implement¹⁰ the September 2005 nuclear framework agreement.

But Thursday the U.S. delegate expressed frustration¹¹ with Pyongyang, saying he was there not to talk about financial issues but getting North Korea out of the weapons of mass destruction business.

Hill said he expected more meetings Friday but that he then planned to leave and be back in Washington in time to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

1 linkage   

n.连接；环节

参考例句：

• In their monographic treatment of linkage,they have emphasized this especially.他们在论连锁的专题文章中特别强调了这点。
• Occasionally,problems with block inheritance or linkage are encountered.有时会遇到区段遗传或连锁问题。

2 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

3 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 counterfeit   

vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的

参考例句：

• It is a crime to counterfeit money.伪造货币是犯罪行为。
• The painting looked old but was a recent counterfeit.这幅画看上去年代久远，实际是最近的一幅赝品。

6 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 impede   

v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止

参考例句：

• One shouldn't impede other's progress.一个人不应该妨碍他人进步。
• The muddy roads impede our journey.我们的旅游被泥泞的道路阻挠了。

9 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

10 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

11 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。