WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department said on Thursday the time was not right for Google Inc's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, and New Mexico's former governor, Bill Richardson, to make a planned trip to North Korea.
"We don't think the timing of this is particularly helpful," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters, citing North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket in December, which raised tensions in the region.
She said both men were well aware of U.S. concerns about the timing of their planned trip.
(Reporting Arshad Mohammed; Editing Sandra Maler)