MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu Xiaoming discussed the situation around the Korean Peninsula on Monday and agreed that the United States and its allies are responsible for the escalation of the situation in the region.

"The current situation around the Korean Peninsula was discussed in detail. The sides agreed that the responsibility for the current aggravation lies with Washington and its allies, which, contrary to their own commitments, refuse to engage in dialogue with North Korea on security guarantees and take practical confidence-building measures. On the contrary, they increase large-scale military exercises in the region, which are provocative in nature," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website.

The ministry also pointed out that during the conversation the sides reiterated the need to concentrate the efforts of the parties involved in the conflict "on the search for a political and diplomatic solution to the problems of Northeast Asia, involving the fair and legitimate concerns of all states in the region in the sphere of security." "It was agreed to maintain close coordination between Russia and China in this direction," the Russian Foreign Ministry concluded.