09 January 2003
North Korea U.N. Envoy Contacts Former U.S. Ambassador to U.N.
(White House Report) (640)
NORTH KOREA'S U.N. AMBASSADOR CONTACTS BILL RICHARDSON
Han Song Ryol, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, has
contacted Bill Richardson, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in
the Clinton administration, saying that he wants to visit with him,
White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters at his midday
briefing January 9.
Richardson, who is now Governor of New Mexico, contacted Secretary of
State Colin Powell about it, Fleischer said, and the secretary said he
had no objections to the visit.
Under U.S. agreements with North Korea, Fleischer noted, the State
Department has to grant permission for the U.N. ambassador to travel
outside of New York. "Governor Richardson, knowing that as a former
ambassador, contacted Secretary Powell," the press secretary said.
"Secretary Powell said that he had no objections to North Korea
traveling to New Mexico to visit with Governor Richardson.
"And we don't know what it is that North Korea wants to say to
Governor Richardson; the only message that we expect is what America's
position is, that we are ready to talk and that we will not negotiate.
That's the United States position, and you should not see this as
anything beyond that."
Asked if the Bush administration initiated some contact with
Richardson about a discussion with North Korea, Fleischer responded:
"The conversation as it was related to me was exactly as I laid out."
WHITE HOUSE ON RESIGNATION OF MEXICO'S FOREIGN MINISTER
Asked for White House reaction to the resignation of Mexican Foreign
Minister Jorge G. Castaneda, reportedly over what he views as lack of
U.S. interest in resolving U.S.-Mexican immigration issues, Fleischer
responded:
"Number one, the president has always enjoyed his relationship with
Foreign Minister Castaneda. And he looks forward to the appointment of
a new foreign minister because the relations between the United States
and Mexico remain a top priority for the president, a very important
matter.
"There is no question that September 11th had an impact on some of the
progress that was being made between the United States and Mexico on
immigration issues. And like many things that happened with the attack
on our country on September 11th, the president regrets that that was
one of the consequences of it. It clearly has made the ability to
change some of the immigration procedures that the president had
sought to change harder to do, harder to enact into law....So the
president wishes him well."
WHITE HOUSE EXPLAINS DECISION TO PUT OTTO REICH ON NSC
Asked why President Bush decided to appoint Otto J. Reich to a
National Security Council position rather than name him again as
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, a
position the new Senate would have to confirm, Fleischer said the main
reason for the NSC appointment was that Bush wants the expertise of
Reich near at hand.
"Well, the president thought that the ideal place for Otto Reich would
be here as part of the National Security Council. There are many
people who work for the National Security Council who the president
has to make a decision about. Does he want to have their expertise
right here within the building, or does the president want to have
their expertise at a different agency that would require Senate
confirmation? So it's a different judgment about different
individuals."
But Fleischer acknowledged that some other factors regarding Reich
might have contributed to Bush's decision, including the fact that the
new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar
(Republican-Indiana), is reported to be opposed to such a nomination.
"It's always important to be cognizant of the sentiment of the Senate
and to see how widespread it may or may not be," Fleischer said.
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
