The United Nations Security Council should reconsider its sanctions against Pyongyang, deputy foreign ministers of Russia, China and North Korea said in a joint communique released after their consultations in Moscow on Wednesday.

“Taking into account the important steps towards denuclearization made by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the sides believe the UN Security Council should start in due time revising the sanctions against the DPRK,” Igor Morgulov, Kong Xuanyou and Choe Son-hui said in the communique.

The high-ranking diplomats confirmed their stance against unilateral sanctions against North Korea.

The sides share stance that there is no alternative to settling the problems of the Korean Peninsula by peaceful and diplomatic means. They praised the efforts by the involved countries on promoting dialogue in the interests of this settlement.

The diplomats also called for holding talks between Pyongyang and Washington, and also between Pyongyang and Seoul “to alleviate mutual concerns and normalize ties.”

The deputy foreign ministers confirmed the sides’ aspiration to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and create there a mechanism of peace. “There is general understanding that this process, the priority goal of which is to establish mutual trust, should be of a step-by-step and synchronized character and accompanied by reciprocal steps of the involved states.”

Russia, China and North Korea consider that the Korean Peninsula’s denuclearization process should be step-by-step and synchronized, and it requires reciprocal steps by the involved countries, according to the joint communique.

The diplomats discussed in detail the need to enhance bilateral and multilateral coordination with the goal of setting up a mechanism of a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.