The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged North Korea Monday to comply with nuclear inspections.
IAEA Secretary-General Mohamed Elbaradei said in an opening speech of the 45th IAEA general conference in Vienna that the international agency has not verified the communist state's nuclear safety measures yet although it has monitored the North's freeze of nuclear facilities.
Despite the North's defiant attitude, the IAEA will continue its efforts to monitor the North's freeze on its graphite reactor and other nuclear facilities.
North Korea signed an IAEA safeguards accord in 1992 but has not fully complied with IAEA inspections.
Meanwhile, representatives of 132 IAEA member countries attended the five-day IAEA general conference. They will discuss reactor safety, treatment of radioactive wastes and other nuclear safety measures.
In addition, member countries will adopt a resolution calling for the North's compliance with the 1992 nuclear safety accord.