North Korean funds long frozen in a Macau bank have been mostly transferred out, officials said Thursday. The move is hoped to increase the chances of ending the deadlock in a stalled nuclear disarmament deal with Pyongyang. Banco Delta Asia remitted US$20 million to a Russian bank were North Korea has accounts, AP reported quoting a government spokesman. North Korea has refused to honor a February agreement to start shurring down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor until US$25 million at Macau's Banco Delta Asia are released. The funds were blocked last year after the US blacklisted the bank and accused it of laundering money for the rogue regime. The funds were expected to be transferred through the New York branch of the Federal Reserve ad Russia's central bank. Russia said it would allow the transfer if the US promised it would not seek punitive action.
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