Moscow: Russia and China agree that the development of North Korea's nuclear programme should not be used as an excuse for deploying elements of a US global anti-missile system on the Korean peninsula, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.


Moscow and Beijing also favour measures that would counter North Korea`s nuclear programme, but at the same time not hamper a political settlement in the region, Lavrov told a joint news briefing with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.