South Korea's top diplomat and the chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (have discussed bilateral cooperation, and the ongoing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow during a meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministry said Saturday.

The talks between Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday came as Cho visited Brussels for a NATO meeting of foreign ministers earlier this week.

In their meeting, Cho said the government is working with friendly nations to draw up a new monitoring mechanism against North Korea after the UN Security Council failed to extend the mandate of the expert panel monitoring the enforcement of sanctions against the North.

Cho also called for NATO's cooperation as he explained the government's ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold a UN general assembly meeting to denounce Russia over vetoing the extension.

In response, Stoltenberg agreed on the need for concerted efforts by the international community against military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, and expressed continued support for South Korea's efforts to establish sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.

Cho and Stoltenberg also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas such as cyber security and the defense industry, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)