The United States is hinting that it will decide whether to hold bilateral talks with North Korea after the current session of the U.N. General Assembly ends next week.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters Thursday that during the U.N. session, President Barack Obama will have a chance to talk individually to the member countries of the six-way nuclear talks that share Washington’s interest in a denuclearized North Korea. Crowley added that once such consultations are concluded, Washington will make some decisions regarding possible direct U.S.-North Korea talks.

Crowley’s remarks suggest that Washington will decide on the time and venue for a bilateral meeting with the North after holding consultations with parties to the nuclear talks at the U.N. session.

He added that Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is currently in Japan to discuss a range of issues, including Pyongyang’s nuclear situation, with the new administration in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to touch on Pyongyang’s nuclear standoff when she delivers a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington late Friday.