The top diplomats of South Korea and New Zealand have agreed to continue close cooperation amid deepening ties between North Korea and Russia. 

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry, foreign minister Cho Tae-yul and his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters made the agreement on Monday during their talks over lunch in Seoul.

The two sides agreed that North Korea's provocations and close ties with Russia threaten not only the Korean Peninsula but also world peace and stability, stressing the importance of a unified response and cooperation from the international community.

Cho and Peters also noted the significance of a joint statement issued by the leaders of South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand at last week's North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit.

The statement strongly denounced the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, expressing grave concerns over their comprehensive strategic partnership treaty and expanding military and economic cooperation. 

The top diplomats also agreed that their nations share the visions of peace, stability, prosperity, resilience and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region, and decided to explore ways to strengthen solidarity in the future.