Moscow welcomed the meeting between the Chinese and North Korean leaders in Beijing, Russian foreign ministry said Wednesday.

"We assess the talks held there as a big step towards strengthening the recent positive developments on the Korean Peninsula and around it," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un completed a secretive and unprecedented visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The ministry added that Russia "intends to continue to work towards a comprehensive settlement of problems in this subregion by exclusively peaceful political and diplomatic means through a direct dialogue between all the parties concerned."

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that there were no immediate plans for a Russia-North Korea summit, or for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim.

Putin has been relatively friendly with Kim's regime and has actively tried to bolster ties, despite the international sanctions. The two countries recently signed an agreement on cooperation in scientific research and might be discussing a new border bridge.

Russian media outlets claim that North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho is planning to travel to Moscow next month.