MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Russia and China are set to strengthen cooperation to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday after a meeting of Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou.

The diplomats "shared views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. Both sides emphasized that Russia and China need to strengthen cooperation in order to de-escalate tensions and find a solution to the whole range of problems the subregion is facing on the basis of jointly drafted peace initiatives," says the statement posted on the ministry’s website.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula again flared up in late November when Pyongyang carried out a new missile launch after a 75-day pause. Pyongyang claimed that this missile was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and the entire territory of the US was within its range. The UN Security Council adopted unilaterally tougher sanctions against North Korea.

On January 9, the first round of dialogue on mending ties between North and South Koreas was held in the border village of Panmunjom. The parties discussed reopening an emergency communication channel between military officials, holding consultations on easing tensions on the border and reached an agreement on the North Korean delegation’s visit to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. North Korea will send a delegation of government officials, taekwondo demonstration team, fans and a support team.