A North Korean delegation is coming once again to visit Gov. Bill Richardson in Santa Fe.
Richardson’s office announced today that a North Korean delegation will visit Friday to discuss the upcoming multi-lateral talks about its nuclear weapons program. The North Koreans asked for the meeting, Richardson’s office said in a news release.
The U.S. State Department has granted two North Korean diplomats permission to travel to Santa Fe.
“While I will not be acting as an official representative of the administration, I am pleased to do whatever I can to help increase understanding between our two countries and help move the six-party talks forward,” Richardson said. “I believe we have an opportunity to use diplomacy to end this crisis and bring stability to the Korean Peninsula. I will press the North Koreans to start dismantling their nuclear weapons.”
The North Korean delegation will arrive in New Mexico Friday morning and meet with Richardson in the afternoon at the governor’s mansion.
Richardson has dealt extensively with North Korea during his career in public office. He has traveled to North Korea five times, most recently in October 2005. This will be the second North Korean delegation to travel to Santa Fe to meet with Richardson. The first visit took place shortly after the governor took office in January 2003.
Richardson has recently been at odds with the Bush Administration over how to deal with the North Koreans.