SEOUL (Reuters) -Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Friday, North Korea's state media KCNA said on Saturday, the latest visit by a senior Russian official to the isolated state amid warming ties between the countries.

To develop a more coordinated regional response to economic headwinds and rising trade tensions, ASEAN foreign and economic ministers are set to hold a joint meeting in October ahead of a leaders' summit.

The foreign ministry on Saturday said it “welcomes” the latest six-monthly reports penned by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus and the UN’s good offices on the island.

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to submit a pact upgrading their free trade areas to their leaders for approval in October, according to China's foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday.

President Trump previously said diplomatic talks could resume as early as this week, but Iran's foreign minister said he didn't think they would "restart as quickly as that."

Nigeria cannot accept Venezuelans because "we already have over 230 million people," says the foreign minister.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday that Berlin was only in technical contact with representatives of the Taliban's de facto government in Afghanistan, nothing more, and would continue to monitor the human rights situation there.