China, Russia call on int’l community to drop sanctions against N. Korea: reports

SEOUL, May 8 (Yonhap) — The leaders of China and Russia urged the international community Thursday to abandon sanctions and military pressure on North Korea, according to foreign media reports.

The call was made in a joint statement issued by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin following their meeting held in Moscow earlier in the day.

“Russia and China called on other nations to drop sanctions and military pressure on North Korea,” Reuters reported, citing the statement.

The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to resolving Korean Peninsula issues only through diplomatic means, according to other media reports.

Thursday’s statement aimed to further solidify their strategic partnership, with Putin telling reporters that relations between Russia and China “have reached the highest level in history.”