North Korea’s top diplomat met with the United Nations secretary-general in New York on Monday during the 80th General Assembly, marking the first meeting between the two sides in seven years.

The UN headquarters said on Monday that Secretary-General António Guterres met with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyong following Kim’s speech at the UN General Assembly.

A spokesperson for the UN secretary-general’s office said Guterres and Kim briefly discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways to strengthen cooperation between the UN and North Korea.

This marks the first time Guterres has met a high-ranking North Korean official since September 2018, when North Korea’s then-Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho visited New York for the UN General Assembly.

During his speech, Kim expressed appreciation for Guterres' calls to strengthen the UN as the sole platform for collective action on global issues, as well as his advocacy for reforms to the organization to address the challenges of the 21st century.