The United States and nine other countries will discuss how to move the stalled North Korea nuclear disarmament negotiations forward. Pyongyang earlier rejected requests to hold informal multilateral talks on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Kuala Lumpur.
The United States is meeting Friday with China, Japan, South Korea and Russia to discuss the stalled North Korea nuclear disarmament talks. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia and Indonesia also are joining the meeting.
North Korea's foreign minister has refused to hold multi-party nuclear talks at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur.
U.S. envoy Christopher Hill says the North Koreans are isolating themselves.
"We do not intend to make the entire multilateral process hostage to the fact that they will not attend, so we are going ahead with some talks this afternoon," he said.
Pyongyang refuses to resume the three-year-old negotiations on ending its nuclear weapons programs unless Washington lifts economic sanctions for alleged North Korean money laundering and counterfeiting.