Top officials of the United States and Canada on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to implementing UN sanctions on North Korea.

The two countries held a two plus two meeting between their top diplomats and defense chiefs.

Speaking at a joint news conference after the talks, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was "great" to talk with Canada on their close cooperation on North Korea.

He thanked his Canadian counterparts for "enforcing all of UN Security Council resolutions and encouraging other countries to maintain pressure as well."

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis also said the Friday talks were focused on stepping up their already strong cooperation regarding North Korea sanctions.

He also thanked Canada for its leadership in implementing UN resolutions unanimously adopted for the denuclearization of North Korea.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said her country took the opportunity to reiterate its support for U.S. efforts towards a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and its efforts in the area of sanctions evasion.

She said that "in an ever-changing global landscape, it's important that countries are able to nimbly respond to flagrant violations of the international order" and added that an "effective and targeted sanctions regime" is key to this goal.

Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan also stressed Canada's efforts in sanctions implementation and its contribution to the UN Command in South Korea.

Former Canadian general Wayne Eyre currently serves as deputy commander of the UNC.