Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to continue bilateral dialogue during a brief meeting in Milan, Italy, on the sidelines of a summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting.
In their first face-to-face conversation since the start of the Ukraine crisis, Abe and Putin on Friday confirmed plans to hold a formal meeting during next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Beijing, according to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko.
"I place a great emphasis on Japan-Russia dialogue even in a difficult situation. We will take time during APEC and exchange opinions on both bilateral and global issues," Abe was quoted by Seko as telling the Russian leader.