MOSCOW, January 5. /TASS/. Moscow believes that the direct dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang will facilitate de-escalation of tension on the Korean peninsula, Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

"We welcome the first contacts between Seoul and Pyongyang. We believe that direct dialogue will facilitate de-escalation of tension on the Korean peninsula," the diplomat said.

On Wednesday, South and North Koreas restored the line of special communication in the village of Panmunjom on the border.

On Friday, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification announced that Pyongyang had accepted the proposal of Seoul to hold high-level talks for the first time since December 2015. The talks are expected to take place on January 9 in Panmunjom. It is expected that the parties will discuss possible participation of the North Korean team in the upcoming winter Olympics in South Korea’s Pyeongchang.