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CNN Sunday Morning
Russia Submits Plan to Resolve Standoff With North Korea
Aired January 19, 2003 - 07:10 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We are getting word now that a top Russian envoy has submitted a plan to help resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff. Russia's deputy foreign minister is in Pyongyang as part of international effort to find a solution to the crisis.
Our Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty joins us by phone now from Moscow. Good morning, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning.
Well, that is, as you said, Alexander Losyukov, he is the deputy foreign minister, and he's also the special envoy from President Putin to North Korea, and what he has handed over to the North Koreans is what the Russians are calling a package plan to resolve this crisis. In the Russians' view, the only answer is really a package deal.
And the way it would work, essentially you would guarantee the non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula, and then you would give North Korea security guarantees and a resumption of economic aid, but Pyongyang would have to abandon its nuclear program, reverse its decision to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and also go back to that 1994 agreement under which it froze its nuclear program.
Many people do believe that the elements for a political solution are on the table. In fact, some people have said, Russia could play the role of a middleman. Now, Russia does not want that role, but it does say that it's willing to help try to bring about some type of peaceful solution, and essentially what the Russians are saying is, you need the dialogue, and you especially you need the dialogue between North Korea and the United States.
COLLINS: Jill, do you think that U.S. would want Russia to have that sort of middleman role?
DOUGHERTY: Well, the U.S. is happy, of course, to get anybody to try to bring about some type of peaceful solution to this, and the feeling is that the Russians, because of their history with North Korea, friendship stretching back many years, might be able to at least influence the North Koreans.
But the United States still says they have to give up their nuclear -- any type of idea for a nuclear program, before we can really sit down and talk.
So, I think what the Russians are trying to do, is bring those two things together, begin to talk, guarantee security, but the North Koreans, at the same time, have to give up any pretensions for a nuclear program.
COLLINS: All right, our Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, by phone this morning. Thanks, Jill.
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 19, 2003 - 07:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We are getting word now that a top Russian envoy has submitted a plan to help resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff. Russia's deputy foreign minister is in Pyongyang as part of international effort to find a solution to the crisis.
Our Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty joins us by phone now from Moscow. Good morning, Jill.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning.
Well, that is, as you said, Alexander Losyukov, he is the deputy foreign minister, and he's also the special envoy from President Putin to North Korea, and what he has handed over to the North Koreans is what the Russians are calling a package plan to resolve this crisis. In the Russians' view, the only answer is really a package deal.
And the way it would work, essentially you would guarantee the non-nuclear status of the Korean Peninsula, and then you would give North Korea security guarantees and a resumption of economic aid, but Pyongyang would have to abandon its nuclear program, reverse its decision to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and also go back to that 1994 agreement under which it froze its nuclear program.
Many people do believe that the elements for a political solution are on the table. In fact, some people have said, Russia could play the role of a middleman. Now, Russia does not want that role, but it does say that it's willing to help try to bring about some type of peaceful solution, and essentially what the Russians are saying is, you need the dialogue, and you especially you need the dialogue between North Korea and the United States.
COLLINS: Jill, do you think that U.S. would want Russia to have that sort of middleman role?
DOUGHERTY: Well, the U.S. is happy, of course, to get anybody to try to bring about some type of peaceful solution to this, and the feeling is that the Russians, because of their history with North Korea, friendship stretching back many years, might be able to at least influence the North Koreans.
But the United States still says they have to give up their nuclear -- any type of idea for a nuclear program, before we can really sit down and talk.
So, I think what the Russians are trying to do, is bring those two things together, begin to talk, guarantee security, but the North Koreans, at the same time, have to give up any pretensions for a nuclear program.
COLLINS: All right, our Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty, by phone this morning. Thanks, Jill.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
