North Korea has denounced Washington for accusing the Stalinist state of religious oppression.

Pyongyang’s Rodong Sinmun daily said Tuesday that such accusations against the North by the U.S. State Department contradict the spirit enshrined in the joint statement issued at the fourth round of multilateral nuclear talks, citing the statement's call for respect for state sovereignty and peaceful coexistence.

The organ of the Korean Workers' Party insisted that Washington’s action was tantamount to a political provocation and outright intervention into internal affairs, and that it radiated from the U.S. policy of sanctions against the communist nation.

The paper concluded that such action was evidence of American attempts to deliberately impede the joint statement's realization.

In its annual report to Congress, the U.S. State Department criticized North Korea, China, Iran, and five other nations for depriving their citizens of religious freedom.