Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and U.S. President Barack Obama have pledged to work together to deal with the nuclear threat posed by the DPRK.

Rudd spoke to the American leader by phone on Wednesday, discussing the economic, environmental and security challenges facing the globe, Australian Associated Press reported.

They canvassed the Major Economies Forum (MEF) and other meetings that they will attend together in Italy in July, a spokesperson for Rudd said.

The forum, organized by Obama, will coordinate activities in the lead-up to the December Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change.

"They discussed in particular the development of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, an Australian initiative which has the strong support of the United States," the spokesperson said.

Since winning office, both leaders have been outspoken on the need to do more to combat the nuclear threat.

"They discussed global security challenges, including the proliferation threat posed by North Korea," the spokesperson said.

"The President expressed appreciation for Australia's partnership and support, and the leaders agreed to stay closely in touch on this key challenge."

Source: Xinhua