Richardson: N. Korean talks a ‘hopeful sign’

SANTA FE, N.M. - Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday that his meeting with North Korean diplomats offered a "hopeful sign" of improving relations with the reclusive nation, which reiterated its desire for direct talks with the United States.

The Democratic governor said he had "productive talks" with a pair of representatives from the North Korean mission to the United Nations.

"The delegation indicated that North Korea is ready for a new dialogue with the United States regarding the nuclear issue," Richardson said in a statement. "The question is whether to proceed with face-to-face bilateral talks, as the North Koreans prefer, or to utilize the six-party framework that the United States has advocated. The North Koreans clearly want bilateral talks and not the six-party framework."

He said "temperatures have really cooled down" since former President Bill Clinton went to North Korea earlier this month and brought back two imprisoned American journalists.

This was the third time Richardson has met with North Korean diplomats in Santa Fe since taking office as governor in 2003.

Richardson was ambassador to the United Nations in the Clinton administration and for years has served as a roving diplomatic troubleshooter, including missions to North Korea, Sudan, Cuba and Iraq.

He has traveled to North Korea several times, most recently in 2007 to recover remains of American servicemen killed in the Korean War.

A spokesman for Richardson, Gilbert Gallegos, emphasized that the governor was not negotiating with the North Koreans nor representing President Barack Obama's administration.

Energy briefings
The six-nation talks with the U.S., China, Russia, Japan, and North and South Korea had been aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program.

But North Korea pulled out of the talks in April and has sought one-on-one negotiations with Washington. The U.S. has said it's open to talks with Pyongyang only as part of the six-nation discussions.

Among those meeting with Richardson is Minister Kim Myong Gil, who traveled to Santa Fe in 2006 to talk with him. That meeting led to Richardson's trip to North Korea the following year.

The North Korean delegation had dinner with Richardson Tuesday night and will be briefed Thursday on state government initiatives to encourage the production of renewable energy. Gallegos said the North Koreans had expressed interest in renewable energy programs.

Richardson will not be part of the energy briefings, Gallegos said, because he will be in Las Cruces for other events. However, the governor hopes to see the North Korean delegation briefly Thursday before they leave the state.

No change in U.S. policy
The diplomats' next travels were unknown. The State Department OK'd an itinerary for the pair that includes Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, although it wasn't clear whether they would visit the latter two cities.

The State Department must approve travel by North Korean diplomats posted to the United Nations anytime they want to leave a 25-mile radius of New York.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly confirmed the travel request had been approved but refused to speak to specific destinations other than New Mexico.

Kelly said the administration had not asked Richardson to pass on any message to the diplomats and that there was no change to U.S. policy regarding North Korea and its aim to get the country back to six-nation disarmament talks.

NBC's Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.