Christopher Hill, top US negotiator to the six-party talks, said here Thursday that the talks were "moving into the phase that things will start appearing on paper".

Hill told reporters in his hotel that he will discuss with the Chinese side later this morning about that.

Hill will also meet with delegations of Japan and South Korea on Thursday afternoon. "I assume, not scheduled yet, to see North Korea," he added.

As to the financial disputes between the United States and North Korea, Hill reiterated that the financial issue was separate from the denuclearization issue.

US Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary Daniel Glaser had left here Thursday morning for home after holding talks with North Korea on the financial sanction issue.

Glaser, who is leading the US delegation, held talks with President of the North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank O Kwang Chol on Tuesday and Wednesday in the US Embassy and North Korea Embassy respectively.

Financial sanction imposed on the North Korea was one of the key stumbling blocks that stalled the six-party talks since September 2005.

The financial talks were held on the sidelines of the fresh meeting of the six-party talks, which entered the fourth day on Thursday.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2006)