Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 28, 2017 shows top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim JongUn (C) supervising the test-fire of a new type anti-aircraft guided weapon system. (Xinhua/KCNA)
MOSCOW, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday denounced the new missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and called for the resumption of "direct talks" to address the Korean Peninsula issue during a phone conversation, the Kremlin press service said.
"In the context of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the heads of state strongly condemned the provocative actions of the DPRK, which grossly violated the requirements of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council," the Kremlin said in a statement.
It added that such actions are contrary to the principles of global non-proliferation and pose a serious threat to regional peace and security.
The DPRK reportedly fired a missile over Japan's northern island Hokkaido and into the Pacific Ocean on Friday, which came only days after the UN Security Council voted in favor of a resolution toughening sanctions on the DPRK.
During the phone call, Putin and Macron underlined that Resolution 2375 of the UN Security Council, which was unanimously passed on Sept.11, serves as the "adequate response of the international community to Pyongyang's irresponsible steps," according to the Kremlin.
"The leaders agreed on the inadmissibility of further escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula... the need to resolve this extremely difficult situation exclusively by political and diplomatic means, by resuming direct talks," it said.
While disapproving Pyongyang's active moves on missile and nuclear programs, the Russian side has repeatedly said that sanctions and pressure are of little use to settling the knotty situation over the Korean Peninsula and called for more effective and cordial dialogue between all parties involved.
