The United States and Russia have reportedly discussed the possibility that North Korea could be preparing to launch a long-range missile.

Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency said Saturday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a telephone conversation on Friday to discuss efforts toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, including the North’s planned satellite launch.

During the phone conversation, Clinton reportedly expressed concern over the North’s possible missile launch, saying the move would negatively affect the situation in the Northeast Asia region and hamper progress in the six-way nuclear talks.

Friday’s conversation comes shortly after Clinton held similar talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan over the phone, apparently demonstrating that Washington is stepping up diplomatic efforts in response to the North’s apparent moves to fire a missile.