The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States have reaffirmed the allies’ “resolute” commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea. 

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held their first talks on Thursday in Washington.

The U.S. State Department said in a readout that Cho and Rubio reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and the full implementation of international sanctions.

It also said they expressed serious concerns about North Korea’s increasing military cooperation with Russia. 

The department said the two sides discussed the importance of continuing to advance trilateral cooperation with Japan, adding that such cooperation plays a vital role in deterrence and resilience against regional security threats.

The top diplomats reportedly concurred that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community.