The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it is ready to continue working-level denuclearization talks with North Korea as the countries mark one year since their historic first-ever summit in Singapore.

Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said during a news briefing that the U.S. would like to continue to discuss with its counterparts how to make progress toward the commitments that were made one year ago. 

The spokesperson refused to say whether the two sides continue to be in contact.

But she did say that Washington hopes the commitments that were made one year ago will come to fruition, stressing that it's “certainly ready on the working level to do that.” 

She added that while the U.S. works towards that, economic sanctions do remain in effect.