Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on all sides involved in the situation around North Korea to show restraint, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was vital that Pyongyang completely shed itself of all nuclear weapons.
The two men made the comments at a news conference in Moscow on Saturday after discussing North Korea and other geopolitical issues.
Putin also said it was important to look patiently for a solution with Japan that would allow the two countries to conclude a World War II peace treaty that would reflect the strategic interests of both.
Putin made the remark after holding talks with Abe. The Japanese prime minister said the two leaders had agreed to speed up joint business activity on a chain of disputed Pacific islands that Moscow seized from Japan at the end of World War II.