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CNN Sunday Morning

Russian Officials Meet With South Korean Diplomats

Aired January 05, 2003 - 10:01   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: We begin with the ongoing standoff over North Korea's nuclear program. Washington takes center stage this coming week as efforts to end the standoff kick into high gear. South Korea is leading the diplomatic charge, and today the focus is on Russia. We check in now with CNN's Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty. Hi, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka. Well, as you said, Russia and North Korea have relations that go back many, many years and President Vladimir Putin actually is the one man who's met with the leader of North Korea already three times. So that is why the South Korean representative was here trying to figure out how to get out of this impasse between North Korea and the United States.

And we just got back, Fredricka, from the Foreign Ministry here in Moscow, and the word from them, at least from the Russian side, is they are much more optimistic. That word is coming from Georgy Mamedov, who is the deputy foreign minister for Russia. In an exclusive interview with CNN, he said, "we can see the light at the end of the tunnel in the standoff."

And essentially what he said, there are two parts to this. Number one, a staunch, as he put it, non-compromising position by the world community that North Korea has to abide by its obligations, nuclear obligations, and then the other part he mentioned what he sees as the possibility for political dialogue, and he even quoted President George W. Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGY MAMEDOV, RUSSIAN DEP. FOREIGN MINISTER: I was greatly encouraged by the recent statement by the president of the United States, who said it's a political and diplomatic problem, not a military one. Of course, I heard it before, but being said in the midst of the crisis, it carries a special importance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: So Mamedov also said that in his view, neither the United States nor North Korea actually wants or is planning any type of military confrontation over this.

And then we also had a chance to speak with the deputy foreign minister of South Korea. He confirmed that it was a very helpful meeting, that the Russians do have good channels with the North Koreans, and he also said that the most important thing now is for the world community to urge North Korea not to abandon the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Jill, have Russian authorities said anything as to how closely they will be monitoring the talks between Japanese, South Korean and United States officials as we head into a new week?

DOUGHERTY: Very carefully, in fact, they're in communication with all parties here. Nobody, at least Russia and the other countries, nobody wants any type of nuclear weapons on the peninsula. The question was, it came to such a showdown that it's been very hard to defuse it, and now at least the Russians say that they see some type of, as Mamedov put it, "light at the end of the tunnel."

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Thank you very much, Jill Dougherty, from Moscow.

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 5, 2003 - 10:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with the ongoing standoff over North Korea's nuclear program. Washington takes center stage this coming week as efforts to end the standoff kick into high gear. South Korea is leading the diplomatic charge, and today the focus is on Russia. We check in now with CNN's Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty. Hi, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Hello, Fredricka. Well, as you said, Russia and North Korea have relations that go back many, many years and President Vladimir Putin actually is the one man who's met with the leader of North Korea already three times. So that is why the South Korean representative was here trying to figure out how to get out of this impasse between North Korea and the United States.

And we just got back, Fredricka, from the Foreign Ministry here in Moscow, and the word from them, at least from the Russian side, is they are much more optimistic. That word is coming from Georgy Mamedov, who is the deputy foreign minister for Russia. In an exclusive interview with CNN, he said, "we can see the light at the end of the tunnel in the standoff."

And essentially what he said, there are two parts to this. Number one, a staunch, as he put it, non-compromising position by the world community that North Korea has to abide by its obligations, nuclear obligations, and then the other part he mentioned what he sees as the possibility for political dialogue, and he even quoted President George W. Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGY MAMEDOV, RUSSIAN DEP. FOREIGN MINISTER: I was greatly encouraged by the recent statement by the president of the United States, who said it's a political and diplomatic problem, not a military one. Of course, I heard it before, but being said in the midst of the crisis, it carries a special importance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DOUGHERTY: So Mamedov also said that in his view, neither the United States nor North Korea actually wants or is planning any type of military confrontation over this.

And then we also had a chance to speak with the deputy foreign minister of South Korea. He confirmed that it was a very helpful meeting, that the Russians do have good channels with the North Koreans, and he also said that the most important thing now is for the world community to urge North Korea not to abandon the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Jill, have Russian authorities said anything as to how closely they will be monitoring the talks between Japanese, South Korean and United States officials as we head into a new week?

DOUGHERTY: Very carefully, in fact, they're in communication with all parties here. Nobody, at least Russia and the other countries, nobody wants any type of nuclear weapons on the peninsula. The question was, it came to such a showdown that it's been very hard to defuse it, and now at least the Russians say that they see some type of, as Mamedov put it, "light at the end of the tunnel."

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. Thank you very much, Jill Dougherty, from Moscow.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com