Russia And China Urge For Calm After North Korea's Missile Tests

July 4, 2009 12:36 p.m. EST

Seoul, South Korea (AHN) - Russia and China issued statements urging for calm, just hours after North Korea test fired seven missiles on Saturday into the sea off its east coast.

Pyongyang launched a series of short-range, Scud-type missiles launched today toward the Sea of Japan, as it tried to destabilize the Korean Peninsula by provoking South Korea.

Russia and China called on North Korea to return to nuclear talks, while a US official called the launches "not helpful," according to BBC.

On Friday, Peter Hughes, the British ambassador to North Korea, said that Pyongyang is not willing to resume six-party negotiations on its nuclear activities.

On June 13, the 15-member body, U.N. Security Council, unanimously adopted resolution 1874 demanding that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) not to conduct any further nuclear test or any launch using ballistic missile technology.

But Pyongyang decided to reject any U.N. resolutions and take "stronger self-defensive countermeasures" if the world body tries to take punitive action.