WASHINGTON Dec 31 The United Stales and North Korea failed to agree on a format of future talks to prevent a repeat of the recent downing of a US helicopter in North Korea the top State Department East Asia expert said on Friday, reports Reuter

The two countries leu the question vague tn an agree meut which led to the release on Friday of the helicopter pilot. Bobby Hail said Winston Lord. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific

"Neither side would agree to the other s position so we resorted to creative ambiguity." Lord said tn a telephone interview "We would have preferred a more pmiw formula lion but It was not possible to agree on that

Lord also said that with Hall rfbw released, the United States planned to go ahead on schedule with a delivery of

heavy oil lo North Korea under an October agreement that froze Pyongyang s nuclear pro gramme

In an understanding with Pyongyang concerning terms for the release of Hall whose helicopter was downed on Decemliei 17 JuM Inside North Korea the Unit 1 ■ s

agreed to "contacts In an ap propriate forum" lo prevent such incidents tn future

Lord said the United States insisted this should be' within the Military Armistice Com mission (MACI which oversees the armistice that ended the 1950 53 Korean War. but North Korea was demanding purely bilateral contacts

At issue Is North Korea s desire to establish links with the United Slates that bypass South Korea At the MAC North Korean officers nominally meet the United Nations command which Include*

South Korean aa well a* US officers

Lord said no specific meetings had been scheduled to clear up the dispute. "We would like to meet at tome stage, but bow soon will de pend on North Korean reasonableness." he said

He made clear that — as in tfie past - - such meetings need not always Include South Korean representatives, but that US officers would be taking part using the UN hat. MAC meetings take place at Panunjom on the North South border

US leaders have maintained that no concessions were made to North Korea over Hall s release, negotiated In Pyongyang by lx>rd * deputy Thomas Hubbard In the deal, the United Slates expressed 'sincere regret" over the hell copter Incident .