A senior U.S. diplomat says that the United States has conveyed high-level personal messages informing North Korea that Washington seeks a dialogue with Pyongyang without preconditions.

Jeffrey DeLaurentis, U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, made the remarks on Wednesday during a UN General Assembly session held to discuss vetoes by China and Russia on a U.S.-led resolution that would have imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea.

The deputy ambassador said U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have repeatedly and publicly said that the U.S. seeks a dialogue with the North without any preconditions.

DeLaurentis said Washington has passed this message through private channels as well, including high level personal messages from senior U.S. officials to senior North Korean officials.

The envoy said the messages were conveyed by a third person in writing and contained specific proposals from the U.S.