North Korea has hinted that it will not conduct nuclear tests if its ties with the United States improve.

The North’s Korean Central Television quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying on Tuesday that a path to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula via dialogue and negotiation still exists.

The spokesman was quick to add, however, that the path would open only if the U.S. scraps what he referred to as “hostile” policies toward the North.

The spokesman went on to say that launching a satellite is crucial to building a strong nation. He also claimed that the North’s development of nuclear weapons results from Washington’s hostile policies and is intended to boost the North's nuclear deterrent for self-defense.

The spokesman said if the U.S. continues to adhere to policies sanctioning the North, Pyongyang would have no choice but to take countermeasures for self-defense.