Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Two North Korean Diplomats Will Hold Second Round of Meetings With Richardson
Aired January 10, 2003 - 08:07 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn our attention now to things going on in New Mexico. Two North Korean diplomats will hold a second round of meetings this morning with Democratic New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. You know that Richardson is not a member of the Bush administration, but he is well known to the North Koreans. He has negotiated with them before.
Let's turn to Ed Lavandera, who's standing by in Sante Fe to give us an idea of what anybody expects to come out of these meetings -- good morning, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, we're told by aides close to the governor that this started happening, that these meetings, planning for these meetings started happening just a couple of days ago. Two North Korean diplomats arriving here at the Governor's residence in Sante Fe, New Mexico yesterday afternoon. That includes the ambassador, North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. and his first secretary. They arrived here at the Governor's residence and met with the Governor, Governor Bill Richardson and his wife over a two hour working dinner.
The talks were described as cordial but candid and that they will resume here at 9:00 in the morning Mountain Time, about a little less than three hours from now.
The Governor clear, making it clear to the North Koreans that he is not a negotiator, not the special envoy on behalf of the administration, just someone who is in "a listening mode" and able to report back whatever the North Koreans tell him and that he will report back to Secretary of State Colin Powell whatever it is that the North Koreans tell him over the next couple of days or later on this morning.
Aides close to the Governor would not elaborate on what the North Koreans had brought up so far, but Bill Richardson says he's just happy to listen at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I support the administration's policy. I'm going to try to be helpful. I am not an official negotiator. The administration has many channels that they're pursuing with the North Koreans.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LAVANDERA: Paula, just an interesting bit of timing last night as the dinner was going on and the news broke that North Korea was backing out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. About five minutes, 10 minutes after that happened, the news started breaking on that, the North Korean diplomats here left the Governor's residence. Officials here with the Governor saying that it would be very wrong to read anything into that. But just kind of a break down of how events played out here last night -- Paula.
ZAHN: Ed, before we let you go, a senior administration official has told CNN that they are going to pass along a message through Ambassador Richardson to the envoys that would basically indicate the U.S. is willing to give assurances in writing that it will not attack North Korea. Is anybody confirming that?
LAVANDERA: The aides close here to the governor, the governor hasn't spoken. He had a chance yesterday as he walked the diplomats out to their cars. They left the governor's residence here last night. The governor walked back inside the residence without speaking with reporters. He did speak with reporters before the meeting.
The only thing that the aides here are saying publicly is that they support what the administration is doing so far and from what you just said and we've been reporting, that the Governor is here to pass along that message, as well.
But much more elaboration beyond that isn't being said here publicly just yet.
ZAHN: Ed Lavandera, thanks so much.
LAVANDERA: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Meetings With Richardson>
Aired January 10, 2003 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to turn our attention now to things going on in New Mexico. Two North Korean diplomats will hold a second round of meetings this morning with Democratic New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. You know that Richardson is not a member of the Bush administration, but he is well known to the North Koreans. He has negotiated with them before.
Let's turn to Ed Lavandera, who's standing by in Sante Fe to give us an idea of what anybody expects to come out of these meetings -- good morning, Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.
Well, we're told by aides close to the governor that this started happening, that these meetings, planning for these meetings started happening just a couple of days ago. Two North Korean diplomats arriving here at the Governor's residence in Sante Fe, New Mexico yesterday afternoon. That includes the ambassador, North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. and his first secretary. They arrived here at the Governor's residence and met with the Governor, Governor Bill Richardson and his wife over a two hour working dinner.
The talks were described as cordial but candid and that they will resume here at 9:00 in the morning Mountain Time, about a little less than three hours from now.
The Governor clear, making it clear to the North Koreans that he is not a negotiator, not the special envoy on behalf of the administration, just someone who is in "a listening mode" and able to report back whatever the North Koreans tell him and that he will report back to Secretary of State Colin Powell whatever it is that the North Koreans tell him over the next couple of days or later on this morning.
Aides close to the Governor would not elaborate on what the North Koreans had brought up so far, but Bill Richardson says he's just happy to listen at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I support the administration's policy. I'm going to try to be helpful. I am not an official negotiator. The administration has many channels that they're pursuing with the North Koreans.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LAVANDERA: Paula, just an interesting bit of timing last night as the dinner was going on and the news broke that North Korea was backing out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. About five minutes, 10 minutes after that happened, the news started breaking on that, the North Korean diplomats here left the Governor's residence. Officials here with the Governor saying that it would be very wrong to read anything into that. But just kind of a break down of how events played out here last night -- Paula.
ZAHN: Ed, before we let you go, a senior administration official has told CNN that they are going to pass along a message through Ambassador Richardson to the envoys that would basically indicate the U.S. is willing to give assurances in writing that it will not attack North Korea. Is anybody confirming that?
LAVANDERA: The aides close here to the governor, the governor hasn't spoken. He had a chance yesterday as he walked the diplomats out to their cars. They left the governor's residence here last night. The governor walked back inside the residence without speaking with reporters. He did speak with reporters before the meeting.
The only thing that the aides here are saying publicly is that they support what the administration is doing so far and from what you just said and we've been reporting, that the Governor is here to pass along that message, as well.
But much more elaboration beyond that isn't being said here publicly just yet.
ZAHN: Ed Lavandera, thanks so much.
LAVANDERA: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Meetings With Richardson>
