New York ? North Korea reiterated its pledge not to return to nuclear disarmament talks after a meeting with U.S. officials about the communist regime’s alleged illicit financial activity.

At Tuesday’s meeting in New York, the Americans emphasized that moves against a Macau bank where Pyongyang held accounts were part of regulatory moves “to protect the U.S. financial system from abuse, and not a sanction on North Korea,” according to a U.S. Treasury Department statement.

Last September, the United States blacklisted Banco Delta Asia and several North Korean companies it said were involved in illicit activities, including counterfeiting, money laundering and funding weapons proliferation.

North Korea denies the allegations and has maintained since November that it will not return to six-party talks on its nuclear program until restrictions are lifted.