朝鲜和联合国同意定期沟通。

朝鲜国营媒体朝中社星期六说,这个最新进展是一位联合国高官最近访问平壤的结果。

联合国主管政治事务的副秘书长菲尔特曼本星期访问了朝鲜,与朝鲜外务相李勇浩和副外相朴明国举行了会谈。

朝中社说,菲尔特曼的访问加深了朝鲜民主主义人民共和国与联合国秘书处之间的理解。

菲尔特曼访问前,美国和韩国刚刚开始举行迄今为止规模最大的年度联合空中演习。

朝中社说,平壤把美韩军演视为美国对朝鲜发动出其不意和先发制人打击计划的一部分。

美国和韩国的军事演习开始一周前,朝鲜试射了一枚新型洲际弹道导弹。专家说导弹可以打到美国本土。朝鲜无视国际社会的制裁,进行了包括这枚洲际弹道导弹在内的一系列导弹试射以及核试验。

朝鲜担心国际制裁对人道援助的影响。

菲尔特曼是2010年以来访问朝鲜的最高级联合国官员。他星期六飞往北京。

North Korea and the United Nations have agreed to communicate regularly.

KCNA, North Korea’s state run news service, said Saturday this latest development is a result of a senior U.N. official’s recent visit to the isolated nation.

Jeffrey Feltman, the U.N.’s undersecretary general for political affairs, visited North Korea this week, holding meetings with Foreign Minister Ri Yoing Ho and Vice Minister Pak Myong Guk.

State media said Feltman’s visit “contributed to deepening the understanding between the DPRK and the U.N. Secretariat.”

Feltman’s visit came right after the U.S. and South Korea launched their biggest-ever, annual joint air exercises.

KCNA said Pyongyang considers the joint drills part of a U.S. “scheme to make a surprisingly preemptive nuclear strike” on North Korea.

The U.S. and South Korean exercises, however, came a week after North Korea test-fired a powerful new intercontinental ballistic missile that experts say is capable of reaching the U.S. The new ICBM is one of several missile tests conducted by Pyongyang — along with a series of nuclear tests — in defiance of international sanctions.

North Korea is also concerned about the effects international sanctions have had on the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Feltman is the highest ranking U.N. official to visit North Korea since 2010. He flew to Beijing Saturday.