ISTANBUL

Russia on Sunday said Moscow and Pyongyang agree that increased Western military activity is the reason behind growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid a three-day visit by its top diplomat to the East Asian nation.

“The parties agreed that the reason for the growing tension in the subregion is the increase in military activity of the United States and its allies, the increasingly frequent military maneuvers involving a nuclear component,” said a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on the meeting between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and North Korean North leader Kim Jong-un in the resort city of Wonsan.

Indicating that the meeting held Saturday took place in a “warm, friendly” atmosphere, the statement said the two conducted a detailed conversation on bilateral issues, as well as international and regional issues, including an exchange of views on the development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

The statement said Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s gratitude for North Korea’s “consistent, fundamental” support for Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine and for the participation of North Korean troops in its efforts to push Ukrainian forces out of the border region of Kursk in April.

“When discussing the bilateral agenda, special attention was paid to cooperation in practical areas with an emphasis on the implementation of agreements reached at the highest level,” the statement went on to say.

It added that both parties maintain a “common approach” to resolving all problems on the Korean Peninsula, and are also committed to resolving these issues through diplomatic means.

Lavrov arrived in Wonsan on Friday on a three-day visit, during which he also held talks with his North Korean counterpart Choe Son-hui as part of the second round of strategic dialogue between the two countries.