BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia on Friday called on all parties to refrain from military and extreme actions against Iran.

    "China and Russia propose the Iranian nuclear issue be resolved through dialogue and equal consultation," said a joint statement signed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday.

    The seven-page statement, which came out of the two leaders' two-hour talks in the Great Hall of the People, outlined their common ground on major international issues.

    "All parties should consider global and regional security, make diplomatic efforts, refrain from military and extreme means, cautiously resort to sanctions and take into account the interests of the country involved," the statement said.

    It said the same rules also apply to other urgent international issues concerning Iraq, reconstruction in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Kosovo and Darfur.

    While hailing the progress of the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, China and Russia appealed to all parties to stick to dialogue and peaceful settlement.

    "All countries should work toward the same direction and show flexibility in a bid to realize the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the normalization of diplomatic ties among countries," the statement said.

    China and Russia also pledged in the statement to make positive efforts for the lasting peace and security of northeast Asia.

    Medvedev, who arrived in Beijing on Friday afternoon, was the first head of state to visit China following an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Sichuan Province on May 12.

Special report: Russian President Visits China