VZCZCXRO0426
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0578 2240904
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 120904Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1053
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PHNOM PENH 000578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EAP/D, P 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL CB
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES CLINTON NORTH KOREA VISIT WITH FM HOR 
NAMHONG 
 
REF: STATE 82592 
 
 
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES THEODORE ALLEGRA FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, 
D) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: During an August 10 meeting with Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong, the Ambassador 
conveyed reftel demarche on former President Clinton's visit to North 
Korea.  Ambassador relayed that Clinton's visit was strictly a 
private mission and that U.S. policy towards North Korea had not 
changed.  Hor Namhong expressed his optimism that the mission's 
success would facilitate a renewal of the six-party talks.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
Clinton Visit to DPRK; Strictly a Private Mission 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2.  (C) Ambassador took the opportunity to deliver the key points 
regarding former President Bill Clinton's recent trip to North Korea 
during a scheduled meeting with DPM and FM to discuss other topics 
(septel).  She emphasized that the effort to secure the release of 
two American journalists was strictly a private humanitarian mission 
executed on behalf of the journalists' families.  She reiterated that 
U.S. policy towards North Korea, specifically denuclearization, had 
not changed. 
 
¶3.  (C) Hor Namhong thanked Ambassador for her message and noted that 
he appreciated the success of the mission.  He emphasized that it was 
a "good signal for U.S relations with North Korea" and it was a step 
that would possibly be followed by renewal of the six-party talks. He 
further stressed that he would follow carefully the next steps and 
acknowledged that while the mission was in itself "a good sign," the 
North Korea government remained very unpredictable. 
 
¶4.  (C) COMMENT: Hor Namhong was genuinely pleased that President 
Clinton's mission to North Korea was a success.  He expressed his 
understanding that the mission's objectives were limited to the 
release of the two journalists, but nonetheless he was hopeful that 
it would facilitate the renewal of the six-party talks. 
 
ALLEGRA