The United States says it is still assessing whether to provide food aid to North Korea.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters on Thursday that there is no new information on whether a decision will be made to provide aid.

When asked if he had heard anything from Moscow about reported plans for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to hold summit talks, Toner said he is not aware of the matter. He stressed said that that the first step for the North is to improve North-South relations.