The United States and North Korea are known to have had a preliminary contact in Sweden on Friday morning, local time, and agreed to hold working-level nuclear negotiations as scheduled on Saturday.

The two sides' deputy chief delegates - former North Korean foreign ministry director Kwon Jong-gun and the State Department's Special Envoy for North Korea Mark Lambert - are believed to have held preliminary talks at a conference facility called Villa Elfvik Strand located on the outskirts of Stockholm. 

The two sides met briefly on Friday to discuss the timetable and administrative issues for the main meeting on Saturday which will be headed by the chief negotiators.

The brief preliminary contact was said to be friendly and productive.

Based on the details agreed on Friday, the main negotiation will take place on Saturday led by the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun and North Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator Kim Myong-gil.

[Photo : YONHAP News]