Abe Proposes Talks with Putin on Sidelines of APEC Summit in Nov.

(MENAFN- QNA) Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed holding direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an annual summit meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in November in Beijing, the top government spokesman said Monday.

The proposal, made during their telephone talks Sunday, appears to indicate Abe's eagerness to maintain bilateral dialogue despite difficulties in arranging Putin's visit to Japan in the fall after Tokyo imposed sanctions on Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine, according to Japan's (Kyodo) News Agency.

In the teleconference, Putin also expressed his willingness to hold talks with Abe, but did not elaborate on the timing of the meeting, according to a government source.