Pyongyang has welcomed indications from Washington that it will not demand a so-called Libya model from North Korea. 

Kim Myong-gil, a minister at North Korea’s mission to the UN, who is believed to be Pyongyang’s new chief nuclear envoy, relayed the stance in a statement on Friday. 

According to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA), Kim said that he read with interest media reports regarding recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump on the need for “a new method” in talks with the North rather than the Libya model. 

The North Korean ambassador said although he does not know what the new method will be, he takes Trump’s remarks as an indication that building mutual trust and taking a gradual approach would be the best choice for both countries. 

He said he expects the U.S. will come to the negotiating table with “a working calculation,” adding he is optimistic about the results. 

The Libya model refers to outright denuclearization, which Trump criticized last week after he sacked his national security adviser John Bolton, who clung to it, saying the strategy caused a setback in U.S. dealings with the North. Washington and Pyongyang are expected to resume working-level negotiations on denuclearization within the coming weeks.