WASHINGTON: The United States held a rare direct meeting with North Korea last week to urge the hardline communist state to return to talks on ending its nuclear weapons drive, US officials said on Thursday.

North Korea has repeatedly refused to attend the six-nation talks, blaming what it called hostile US policy while reaffirming its nuclear capabilities in recent months. Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, confirmed that “working level” talks were held last Friday in New York, where North Korea has a delegation at the United Nations.

“This channel was used to reiterate the message, directly, that the North Koreans need to return to the six-party talks without conditions, so we can pursue a policy of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula,” Duffy added.—AFP