The United States supports any efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear programs, the State Department said Wednesday, as Pyongyang's top diplomat has been in Malaysia for Asia's biggest security gathering.

"What we would urge is any effort that would convince North Korea to address the international community's concerns and to get back on a process where it addresses the international community's concerns about its nuclear program. We would support that," State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said at a regular briefing.

Toner spoke in response to a question about Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida's planned meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong on the sidelines of the regional security gathering ASEAN Regional Forum.

Still, Toner reiterated that Secretary of State John Kerry has no plans to meet with Ri.

ARF is one of the rare international gatherings that North Korea has regularly attended and brings together the top diplomats from 27 countries, including all countries involved in the six-party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear program.

On the sidelines of the conference, Ri held talks with his Russian counterpart. Japan's foreign minister said he expects to meet with Ri on Thursday for talks expected to focus on Pyongyang's past abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and '80s.

Toner said the abduction issue is "another really important issue between Japan and North Korea."

"Hopefully North Korea will be supportive," he said.

Another focus of attention is whether Ri would meet formally with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se.

Earlier Wednesday, Yun and Ri had a brief encounter at a gala dinner organized for the ARF participants. They shook hands, but no meaningful exchange occurred. (Yonhap)