The financial talks between the United States and North Korea are "businesslike and useful," a US treasury official said Wednesday night.

Wednesday's talks over US financial sanctions against Pyongyang are "businesslike and useful," Daniel Glaser, US Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary, told reporters at the hotel.

Glaser, who is leading the US delegation, held five-hour talks with President of North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank O Kwang Chol in the North Korean embassy Wednesday.

He didn't release the details of the talks, but stressed North Korea should "underline the concerns of the international financial society."

"We also discussed the possibility of meeting next month, perhaps in New York," he said, confirming his delegation will go back home tomorrow.

Financial sanction imposed on North Korea was one of key stumbling blocks that had stalled the six-party talks for the past 13 months.

The financial talks were held on the sideline of the fresh six-party talks, which entered the 3rd day Wednesday.

Formally known as the second phase of the fifth round since 2003, the talks involved China, North Korea, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2006)