ISTANBUL

Seoul expressed "regret" with China's and Russia's defense of North Korea on Friday, and urged them to "persistently" pressure Pyongyang to return to denuclearization talks.

"We express regret that the recent joint statement by China and Russia made no mention of North Korea's unlawful nuclear development provocations," said a statement from the Foreign Ministry, adding that the joint statement instead "appeared to defend North Korea" and "unfairly shift the blame for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula," according to the Seoul-based Yonhap News.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday issued a joint statement, in which it said that parties support "the comprehensive promotion of a comprehensive settlement of the problems of the Korean Peninsula exclusively by political and diplomatic means," while urging the abandonment of "unilateral coercive measures and forceful pressure" against North Korea.

The statement was issued by the two presidents following talks on deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership held in Moscow, where Xi arrived a day earlier on a four-day visit to take part in an annual military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.

"At this critical juncture, it is incumbent upon China and Russia to take responsible action by persistently convincing and pressuring North Korea to cease its unlawful pursuit of nuclear weapons and military provocation, and to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy in the interest of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," Seoul said.

Russia and China noted the "extremely negative" effect of attempts by the US and its allies to expand NATO's presence in the Asia-Pacific region, condemning the creation of military blocs in the region with a nuclear component, it said.

Both sides also expressed support for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons as "essential to the global security architecture" in a joint statement on Global Strategic Stability.

Seoul, in an answer to the statement, urged Beijing and Moscow to "sincerely join the international community's efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of North Korea and uphold the global non-proliferation regime," considering North Korea's withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty.