He also expressed his desire for close transatlantic cooperation during the pandemic.
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed the situation around the DPRK by phone with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Tuesday, as well as issues of combating the spread of the new coronavirus. This was stated in a published written statement by the head of the press service of the State Department, Morgan Ortegus.
“Secretary of State Pompeo and Foreign Minister Linde discussed several issues that are important to both sides, including the spread of disinformation related to [the coronavirus-induced disease] COVID-19, regional cooperation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”, – the diplomat said.
According to her, the diplomat “also expressed his desire for close transatlantic cooperation during the pandemic as both countries seek to revive economic ties.”
Stagnation in the denuclearization negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington emerged after the inconclusive conclusion of the Hanoi summit in February 2019. Then U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met again on 30 June 2019 in the demilitarized zone on the border between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea, where they agreed to restart the dialogue. On 5 October last year, representatives of Washington and Pyongyang met in Sweden, but consultations at the working level did not bear fruit and there was no resumption of negotiations.