Vienna (ANTARA News) - The UN nuclear agency said Thursday it was still in talks with North Korea about a possible visit by inspectors, despite the US suspending plans to send food aid because of a looming rocket launch.

"Consultations are ongoing," International Atomic Energy Agency spokeswoman Gill Tudor told AFP via email. "There is no decision on the visit, including on whether (IAEA head Yukiya Amamo) will visit or not."

In late February Washington unveiled a deal to be monitored by the IAEA whereby Pyongyang would suspend nuclear tests and its uranium enrichment programme, with the United States announcing 240,000 tonnes of food aid.

A senior North Korean official said last week that the country had invited the Vienna-based agency to send inspectors. Two days later the IAEA said it had begun talks with Pyongyang about a possible visit.

But on Wednesday a senior Pentagon official said the plans to supply the food had been "suspended" because of North Korea`s announcement of what it calls a satellite launch between April 12-16.

Western powers and North Korea`s Asian neighbours have urged the nuclear-armed communist state to scrap the launch, seeing in it a pretext for testing ballistic missile technology banned under UN resolutions.

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Editor: Ade P Marboen
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