North Korea Agrees to Allow UN Aviation Watchdog to Carry Out Checks - Reports

TOKYO (Sputnik) - North Korea has agreed to allow experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to carry out checks to ensure that commercial aircraft are flying safely, Kyodo reported on Sunday.

The experts may come to North Korea as soon as next year, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported, citing a source from ICAO. They may visit the launchpads where ballistic missiles had been tested.

READ MORE: UAE Files Complaint Against Qatar With ICAO — Reports

In May, North Korea told ICAO representatives that it would not take any steps to endanger aircraft without notifying other countries in the region first.

Airlines generally try to avoid flying over North Korea due to the missile and nuclear tests carried out in recent years. However, Pyongyang has not had a single test launch in months since its relations with neighboring South Korea and Seoul's ally the United States have become less tense.

The historic and long-anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took place in Singapore on June 12. The meeting resulted in the signing of a joint declaration pledging to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.