United Nations, Jan 19 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for serious talks between the US and North Korea, and for a clear roadmap of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"We believe it's high time to make sure that the negotiations between the US and North Korea start again seriously, and that a roadmap is clearly defined for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Guterres said on Friday at a press conference, Xinhua reported.

"We will not advocate for any anticipation of other measures before a clear negotiation is put in place, aiming at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with a roadmap," he added.

Guterres made the remarks when US President Donald Trump was meeting North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol at the White House.

"We encourage both countries to move on with the negotiations. We need a clear roadmap, as I said, to clarify things, to allow us to know exactly what the next step will be and to have predictability in the way negotiations take place," he said.

The White House said Friday that Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will meet again at the end of February at a venue to be announced later.