UN atomic agency member states slam North Korea

Member states of the UN atomic agency approved Friday a resolution "deploring" North Korea's decision to cease all cooperation with the watchdog and calling on Pyongyang not to conduct further nuclear tests. The motion at the annual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency "calls upon (North Korea) to come into full compliance" with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to "cooperate promptly" with the IAEA. It "strongly urges (North Korea) not to conduct any further nuclear test" and to "fully comply" with UN Security Council resolutions and to fulfill its commitments made under a 2005 joint statement after six-party talks. In late February, the United States announced it had agreed a moratorium with North Korea on nuclear activities and ballistic missile tests, in exchange for a resumption of food aid. In March, North Korea invited the IAEA to send inspectors to help implement the deal -- a significant rapprochement given it expelled agency inspectors in 2009 and has since refused to cooperate with the agency. But after a much-vaunted missile launch by Pyongyang on April 13, Washington suspended the deal, even though the launch failed. Talks between the IAEA and North Korea have since remained on hold. Observers have since warned that Pyongyang could conduct a third nuclear test. The North has staged two nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009. In November 2010, it unveiled its uranium enrichment facility. Until now, it has used plutonium in its nuclear devices.