Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Richardson Meets With North Korean Envoys
Aired January 11, 2003 - 17:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Are they breaking ground for a new agreement or simply airing grievances? North Korean diplomats met for a third day with former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson today.
CNN National Correspondent Bob Franken is in Santa Fe, New Mexico where the meeting completed earlier today -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As a matter of fact by now, Fredricka, the North Korean diplomats could very well be back in New York where they're based at the United Nations or certainly well on their way. That was after the three days of negotiations.
Now, Governor Bill Richardson, who is a Democratic governor, is not a member of the administration, was recruited we're told by the North Koreans to start a dialogue even though he's not a member of the administration because he's had long experience with the North Koreans having participated in negotiations seven or eight years ago in North Korea. And, of course, he was the United Nations ambassador during the Clinton administration.
Richardson in an exclusive interview with CNN said that the various issues that have come up were on the table here that he brought up issues such as the North Korean withdrawal from the Nonproliferation Treaty, brought up missile testing that was going on, the development of the nuclear plants. Everything, he said, was on the table. The discussions were candid and for every point that he made the North Koreans who were here had an answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: Their response basically was on the other hand we're ready to talk about these issues. Secondly, they say we're ready also not to build any nuclear weapons. We're ready to discuss your verification concerns that you have over our nonproliferation activities. We're ready to freeze the nuclear plants in North Korea, but we need to talk.
So, this is not like United Nations or formal diplomacy. This is almost negotiating in a bizarre atmosphere in a totally different environment. This is why it's difficult to deal with North Korea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Throughout, said Governor Richardson, he was in contact with Secretary of State Colin Powell, calling him for the final time at the conclusion of the negotiations. He said he'll follow that with a detailed written report. His recommendation, he believes that the next discussions with the North Koreans should be government to government, the Bush administration and the North Korean government -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Bob Franken from Santa Fe thank you very much.
Well, President Bush is meeting with his security advisers this weekend as he listens for what might have come out of the dialogue in New Mexico.
CNN's Dana Bash joins us from Washington with a look at what might possibly be next, and Dana what happened after Governor Richardson telephoned Secretary of State Powell about those discussions ending?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, U.S. officials are reacting to Governor Richardson's meetings in Santa Fe with the same skepticism they have for about a month now, saying yes, at least what they're saying this week yes they will talk.
And perhaps Governor Richardson was told that North Korea has no intention of building up its nuclear program but actions speak louder than words and they suggested that the U.S. will not come to the table until they proved they're stopping.
A senior administration official said, "The U.S. has made it clear that we are prepared to talk about North Korea, about how it would meet its obligations to the international community. In New Mexico, North Korea states its willingness to have a dialogue. Unfortunately North Korean delegates did not address the issues of concern to the international community."
Now that concern to the international community today is North Korea's threat to restart its nuclear reactor in a matter of weeks and to restart its missile testing program. An administration official said those actions only further isolate Pyongyang from the world.
Now, the United States is still trying to enlist the help of the world community, especially North Korea's neighbors to pressure them to stop their nuclear program, and the Bush administration is desperately trying to avoid this conflict becoming a U.S. versus North Korea conflict rather North Korea versus the world.
But it's not easy, Fredricka, as world leaders are privately at least putting pressure on the Bush administration to engage with North Korea to stop this crisis from escalating further -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Now, Dana, if the discussions between Governor Richardson and North Korean diplomats was kind of an entree to open up dialogue, then is the White House giving any sort of time table as to when it might hope to have direct dialogue, direct talks with North Korean officials?
BASH: What the White House is saying here essentially is they're not going to talk. They're not going to come to the table at this point until North Korea shows that it is stopping its nuclear program; that it is not going forward with all the things that the world has seen over the past weeks and really over the past months to ramp up, to restart its nuclear program.
The U.S. is still taking the position that once the North Koreans show that they're stopping that, then the U.S. will come to the table and talk about whatever it is North Korea wants to talk about.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dana Bash from Washington thank you very much.
Well, North Korea appears to be mired in a policy of defiance. Its hostile rhetoric and vows to resume nuclear programs are likely to increase tensions as the international chorus of condemnation grows.
CNN's Senior United Nations Correspondent Richard Roth has an exclusive interview with North Korea's U.N. ambassador -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Pak Gil Yon, well versed and well used to this diplomatic dance with the United States over the last decade or so, sat down for an exclusive rare interview with me today at the North Korean mission to the United Nations.
The ambassador heaped scorn on the United States and its policy towards North Korea. There was abuse for President Bush's remark about North Korea being part of that axis of evil, the speech President Bush gave early last year.
He also accused Washington of intimidating the respected International Atomic Energy Agency and thus North Korea has withdrawn effective today from the world's most significant Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. And, the ambassador hinted very openly that his country may move towards launching missiles in the Pacific Ocean, Korean Peninsula region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMB. TO U.N.: I haven't heard anything about any schedule of restarting such missile testing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Well, the answer did go on a little bit longer and the North Korean ambassador said because the United States in his view violated that important framework agreement signed in 1994, North Korea would not be bound by any type of disarmament missile moratorium that was announced by North Korea several years ago.
This was also said in Beijing in a news conference by North Korea's ambassador to China. So, we see in various ways North Korea is using as much diplomatic leverage and threatening language as possible with the United States -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Richard Roth, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 11, 2003 - 17:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Are they breaking ground for a new agreement or simply airing grievances? North Korean diplomats met for a third day with former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson today.
CNN National Correspondent Bob Franken is in Santa Fe, New Mexico where the meeting completed earlier today -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As a matter of fact by now, Fredricka, the North Korean diplomats could very well be back in New York where they're based at the United Nations or certainly well on their way. That was after the three days of negotiations.
Now, Governor Bill Richardson, who is a Democratic governor, is not a member of the administration, was recruited we're told by the North Koreans to start a dialogue even though he's not a member of the administration because he's had long experience with the North Koreans having participated in negotiations seven or eight years ago in North Korea. And, of course, he was the United Nations ambassador during the Clinton administration.
Richardson in an exclusive interview with CNN said that the various issues that have come up were on the table here that he brought up issues such as the North Korean withdrawal from the Nonproliferation Treaty, brought up missile testing that was going on, the development of the nuclear plants. Everything, he said, was on the table. The discussions were candid and for every point that he made the North Koreans who were here had an answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: Their response basically was on the other hand we're ready to talk about these issues. Secondly, they say we're ready also not to build any nuclear weapons. We're ready to discuss your verification concerns that you have over our nonproliferation activities. We're ready to freeze the nuclear plants in North Korea, but we need to talk.
So, this is not like United Nations or formal diplomacy. This is almost negotiating in a bizarre atmosphere in a totally different environment. This is why it's difficult to deal with North Korea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Throughout, said Governor Richardson, he was in contact with Secretary of State Colin Powell, calling him for the final time at the conclusion of the negotiations. He said he'll follow that with a detailed written report. His recommendation, he believes that the next discussions with the North Koreans should be government to government, the Bush administration and the North Korean government -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Bob Franken from Santa Fe thank you very much.
Well, President Bush is meeting with his security advisers this weekend as he listens for what might have come out of the dialogue in New Mexico.
CNN's Dana Bash joins us from Washington with a look at what might possibly be next, and Dana what happened after Governor Richardson telephoned Secretary of State Powell about those discussions ending?
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, U.S. officials are reacting to Governor Richardson's meetings in Santa Fe with the same skepticism they have for about a month now, saying yes, at least what they're saying this week yes they will talk.
And perhaps Governor Richardson was told that North Korea has no intention of building up its nuclear program but actions speak louder than words and they suggested that the U.S. will not come to the table until they proved they're stopping.
A senior administration official said, "The U.S. has made it clear that we are prepared to talk about North Korea, about how it would meet its obligations to the international community. In New Mexico, North Korea states its willingness to have a dialogue. Unfortunately North Korean delegates did not address the issues of concern to the international community."
Now that concern to the international community today is North Korea's threat to restart its nuclear reactor in a matter of weeks and to restart its missile testing program. An administration official said those actions only further isolate Pyongyang from the world.
Now, the United States is still trying to enlist the help of the world community, especially North Korea's neighbors to pressure them to stop their nuclear program, and the Bush administration is desperately trying to avoid this conflict becoming a U.S. versus North Korea conflict rather North Korea versus the world.
But it's not easy, Fredricka, as world leaders are privately at least putting pressure on the Bush administration to engage with North Korea to stop this crisis from escalating further -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Now, Dana, if the discussions between Governor Richardson and North Korean diplomats was kind of an entree to open up dialogue, then is the White House giving any sort of time table as to when it might hope to have direct dialogue, direct talks with North Korean officials?
BASH: What the White House is saying here essentially is they're not going to talk. They're not going to come to the table at this point until North Korea shows that it is stopping its nuclear program; that it is not going forward with all the things that the world has seen over the past weeks and really over the past months to ramp up, to restart its nuclear program.
The U.S. is still taking the position that once the North Koreans show that they're stopping that, then the U.S. will come to the table and talk about whatever it is North Korea wants to talk about.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dana Bash from Washington thank you very much.
Well, North Korea appears to be mired in a policy of defiance. Its hostile rhetoric and vows to resume nuclear programs are likely to increase tensions as the international chorus of condemnation grows.
CNN's Senior United Nations Correspondent Richard Roth has an exclusive interview with North Korea's U.N. ambassador -- Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Pak Gil Yon, well versed and well used to this diplomatic dance with the United States over the last decade or so, sat down for an exclusive rare interview with me today at the North Korean mission to the United Nations.
The ambassador heaped scorn on the United States and its policy towards North Korea. There was abuse for President Bush's remark about North Korea being part of that axis of evil, the speech President Bush gave early last year.
He also accused Washington of intimidating the respected International Atomic Energy Agency and thus North Korea has withdrawn effective today from the world's most significant Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. And, the ambassador hinted very openly that his country may move towards launching missiles in the Pacific Ocean, Korean Peninsula region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAK GIL YON, NORTH KOREAN AMB. TO U.N.: I haven't heard anything about any schedule of restarting such missile testing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: Well, the answer did go on a little bit longer and the North Korean ambassador said because the United States in his view violated that important framework agreement signed in 1994, North Korea would not be bound by any type of disarmament missile moratorium that was announced by North Korea several years ago.
This was also said in Beijing in a news conference by North Korea's ambassador to China. So, we see in various ways North Korea is using as much diplomatic leverage and threatening language as possible with the United States -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Richard Roth, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
