North Koreans meet New Mexico governor

SANTA FE, N.M., Aug. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. officials rejected North Korea's contention Americans must hold bilateral talks after Pyongyang released two U.S. journalists from custody.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a noted expert on foreign affairs who met with two visiting North Korean diplomats Wednesday in Santa Fe, said North Korea believes its gesture of releasing the journalists to former President Bill Clinton should be reciprocated with bilateral talks, CNN reported. The diplomats were from the North Korean delegation at the United Nations.

"They feel, the North Koreans, that by giving us the two American journalists, that they've made an important gesture," Richardson told CNN. "And now they're saying the ball's in our court."

CNN reported officials in the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, however, said the six-nation talks on North Korea's denuclearization in return for massive aid, which are currently stalled, are still the right forum for a dialogue.

Richardson agreed with those officials. "I don't believe that should be the case because this (the release of the journalists) was a humanitarian gesture that needed to happen," the Democratic governor said.

The report also quoted the officials as saying Richardson had said he was not negotiating on the president's behalf and that he would only relay the information.