US, South Korea, Japan discussed North Korea in call this week, US says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Diplomats from the United States, South Korea and Japan discussed North Korea in a phone call on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Friday.North Korea's closer relationship with Russia was among the topics discussed by Daniel Kirtenbrink, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Cho Koo-rae and Japanese Foreign Ministry Director General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Namazu Hiroyuki. The three officials discussed efforts to deepen trilateral security cooperation, and called on China to work to influence North Korea to reduce regional tensions, according to the U.S. statement.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil, Writing by Caitlin Webber)