NK sets demands for nuclear talks in Beijing

North Korea presented a long list of demands to be met before it even considers nuclear disarmament, delegates said Monday. A long-awaited sixth round of nuclear talks got underway in Beijing Monday with North Korea's chief negotiator Kim Kye-gwan saying Pyongyang would not discuss its nuclear programme while sanctions remained, the Financial Times reported. "If [the US] seeks to discuss the nuclear weapons issue at the current stage, it is unavoidable to ask for talks on mutual disarmament," Kim was quoted as saying by South Korea's Yonhap news agency. Financial and weapons-related sanctions were imposed after an October nuclear test by Pyongyang. The country has also been frozen out of the international financial system. The US took a firm stance Monday, with chief delegate Christopher Hill saying sanctions would stay until the country disarmed.