U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held phone talks with his Swedish counterpart on Tuesday to discuss North Korea, the coronavirus and other issues of mutual importance.

State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Tuesday that Pompeo and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde discussed several issues of bilateral importance, including COVID-related disinformation, regional cooperation, and North Korea. 

Sweden established diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1973 and set up its embassy in Pyongyang in 1975, becoming the first western country to do so.  

The Swedish Embassy provides consular assistance to Americans in North Korea as Washington and Pyongyang have yet to establish diplomatic ties. 

Last October, Sweden hosted working-level nuclear talks between North Korea and the U.S. on the outskirts of Stockholm. But the talks ended up with no deal due to differences on the North's denuclearization.