U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reaffirmed Washington’s stance that sanctions on North Korea will remain in place if the North doesn't scrap its nuclear program. 

In an exclusive interview with The Washington Times, Pompeo said the U.S. stance is that the North must fully denuclearize if it wants sanctions relief. He added the U.S. position has remained “unambiguous” since President Trump’s personal diplomacy with Pyongyang first gained momentum.

He said the U.S. hopes to get another opportunity to sit down with the North and “have a serious conversation.”

Pompeo stressed the need for the North to fulfill the agreement its leader reached with Trump during the Singapore Summit nearly a year ago about giving up the North’s nuclear arsenal. He said the U.S. is “happy to talk about the best way to achieve that.” 

Pompeo’s comments came as the North’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the U.S. continues to cling to hostile policies toward the North. It added the effectiveness of the June 12th joint statement following the Singapore summit will depend on how the U.S. responds to the North's "just and fair stance."