Russia’s foreign ministry has denied reports that it held “secret” talks about the North Korean nuclear issue with South Korea, stating that it refuses to be an intermediary between the two Koreas.

Moscow “doesn’t hold any consultations with the South Korean side and is not discussing with it issues concerning Pyongyang and Seoul’s bilateral relations or … the ‘DPRK nuclear issue,'” foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Sunday.

Zakharova’s remarks came shortly after Yonhap News Agencyand other South Korean news outlets reported senior officials from Seoul and Moscow met at the Russian capital for discussions,