The United States says it is not yet ready for bilateral talks with North Korea and that it’s working with the other members of the six-party nuclear talks to plan the next step with regard to the North.

During a special briefing on opening ties with Myanmar, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also fielded questions on North Korea.

When asked if Washington is ready to send Ambassador Stephen Bosworth to Pyongyang, Campbell said “not yet” and that the U.S. has learned that a certain degree of patience pays off in the process of dealing with the North.

He said the U.S. goal is to remain lockstep with its partners to ensure they work together to prevent any picking off of one or other members of the six-party framework or any tension among them as they engage together with Pyongyang.