New Mexico Governor Arrives in North Korea for Nuke Talks

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) arrived in Pyongyang yesterday, state media reported last night (see GSN, Oct. 14).

Richardson plans to ask North Korean officials for detailed plans on how they would dismantle their nuclear programs and for a commitment on inspections, the Associated Press reported yesterday.

“We’re going to focus on two important areas: one is verification, the second is what steps are the North Koreans taking to dismantle their nuclear weapons — concrete steps,” Richardson told AP.

“It was a major step forward in the last six-party talks, and now is the follow-through,” he said. “Where I think I can help is in the implementation — I’m not there to negotiate anything new.”

Richardson is accompanied by officials from New Mexico public health, energy and other agencies to demonstrate the types of assistance North Koreans could expect in return for disarmament, he said.

“The idea behind the experts is to say, look ... there will be advantages” to abandoning atomic bombs, he said (Joseph Coleman, Associated Press/San Diego Union-Tribune, Oct. 17).

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld plans to encourage Chinese officials while in Beijing this week to press North Korea on nuclear disarmament, AP reported today (Robert Burns, Associated Press/BreitBart.com, Oct. 18).

A senior Chinese diplomat is expected in North Korea today to discuss the next round of six-nation nuclear talks, tentatively scheduled for next month, Agence France-Presse reported.

Li Bin, Beijing’s new special envoy for North Korea, is expected to spend two days in the North, and to visit the United States and South Korea next week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.

“The major topic is to discuss with officials from the three countries ... to make preparation for the next round of six-party talks,” said spokesman Kong Quan (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Oct. 18).

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