FILE PHOTO: Jeffrey Feltman speaks during a news conference in Colombo March 3, 2015. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - United Nations envoy Jeffrey Feltman, a former high-level U.S. State Department official, is not carrying any message from the U.S. government while visiting North Korea for talks on behalf of the world body, the State Department said on Tuesday.

Feltman is currently the U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs. Previously he served as U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.

“We’re certainly aware of his travels under the auspices of his role with the United Nations to North Korea,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters. “He’s not traveling on behalf of the U.S. government and he’s not traveling -I want to make this clear - with any kind of message from the U.S. government.”