Statement by Bill Richardson - North Koreans Keep Commitment to Governor Richardson: Meet US Envoy in Pyongyang

SANTA FE -- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued the following statement today saying he is pleased that the North Korean leaders have kept their promises made to him during his April visit to meet with Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill in Pyongyang. This direct meeting with Christopher Hill, the first visit by a US nuclear envoy to North Korea since 2002, follows recent invitations to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor the shutdown of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility, also a promise made to Governor Richardson.

"North Korean leaders made a promise to me to invite Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill to meet in North Korea." Governor Bill Richardson said. "This high-level meeting comes on the heels of progress made toward shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear facility."

"Both of these actions are important steps in the process toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Governor Richardson said.

North Korea's state news agency issued a statement last Saturday that reported Director Ri Je-Son of the General Department of Atomic Energy sent a letter to the IAEA to discuss the process regarding the "suspension of nuclear facilities at Yongbyon under the February 13 agreement." UN nuclear inspectors are expected to travel to North Korea on Tuesday in preparation of the arrival of IAEA inspectors.

Governor Richardson praised U.S. government officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley for the progress made in moving negotiations with North Korea forward.

During a bipartisan mission to Pyongyang in April, Governor Richardson and former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi pressed North Korean leaders to shut down the reactor and put it under international monitoring. They were assured that as soon as frozen North Korean banking assets in Macao were made available, North Korea would immediately invite the IAEA to oversee the shutdown. The mission urged the North Korean leaders to meet directly with Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill to help reinvigorate the six-party talks.

During his mission to North Korea, Gov. Richardson also urged the North Koreans to reconvene the six party talks in order to discuss the next phase of disablement of the nuclear reactor and North Korea's obligation to declare an inventory of all nuclear activities.