The U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam says that Hanoi will cooperate with Washington to block North Korea from opening accounts in Vietnamese banks for illegal purposes.

Michael Marine told the Associated Press that U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey discussed the matter with Hanoi officials during his visit there last month.

The envoy said that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will also bring up the matter when he visits Vietnam next week for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation finance ministers' meeting.

Marine added that Pyongyang had opened accounts in Vietnamese banks in the past, might still own some and could open more in the future.

[Photo : ]