U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed confidence on Monday that continued economic sanctions will help achieve North Korea's denuclearization.

Pompeo made the remarks during a talk hosted by U.S. news outlet The Hill, when asked if a third summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to happen by this summer.

While the top U.S. diplomat said he didn’t know if a summit would take place by then, he explained that the U.S. wants to make sure that it creates the necessary conditions for substantial progress to be made if the two leaders get together again.

Pompeo added he was confident that as the U.S. continues to apply economic pressure on North Korea, it will get another opportunity to get North Korea to denuclearize.

The secretary also said that he and his team visited Russia and China as well as U.S. allies South Korea and Japan to coordinate and expand global cooperation to resolve the North Korea issue.

[Photo : YONHAP News]