Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday they were concerned over the deteriorating situation on the Korean Peninsula and called for the quickest restart of six-party negotiations.
“The situation on the Korean Peninsula was discussed separately [at the Russian-Japanese talks] as in our joint opinion with the prime minister [of Japan] it has, unfortunately, deteriorated seriously,” the head of the Russian state told journalists after the talks with Shinzo Abe.
“We are urging all the states involved in regional affairs to refrain from military rhetoric and seek a calm and constructive dialogue,” Putin said.
“We see the quickest restart of six-party negotiations as a common task,” the Russian leader said.