The government said that it hopes growing ties between North Korea and Russia will contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, a day after Moscow and Pyongyang issued a joint statement effectively condoning the North’s nuclear program.

South Korea’s unification ministry said Friday that it expects the relationship to develop in a way that supports denuclearization and regional stability.

This comes as Russia’s ruling United Russia party and North Korea’s Workers’ Party declared on Thursday their firm support for Pyongyang’s actions to strengthen its defense capabilities, language widely seen as an endorsement of its nuclear program.

The statement accused the West of fueling global tension through aggressive interference with sovereign states.

The North also expressed support for Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, and Moscow thanked Pyongyang for sending troops to its Kursk region.