The U.S. State Department says the U.S. held technical discussions with North Korea via their New York channel on Monday, local time.

Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Tuesday that the technical discussions were held to follow up on talks held in Beijing last week over the U.S. providing food aid to the North. Monday’s meeting was the first official contact that the U.S. and the North held since the death of the North’s leader Kim Jong-il.

Nuland said she could not say whether Monday’s talks focused only on technical details of the food talks or anything broader. But she did say the discussion was a “technical level” and was designed to clarify questions regarding nutritional assistance issues.

The spokeswoman said given the North’s mourning period, Washington doesn’t think it will be able to have much more clarity and resolve these issues before the new year.