Japan, the United States and South Korea are preparing for a possible summit next week in the Netherlands, where the countries' leaders are scheduled to attend an international conference, Japanese sources said Thursday.

The event provides an opportunity for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to hold his first meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye amid bilateral tensions over historical issues and is a chance for the two neighbors to improve their relations, as hoped for by the United States.

Abe, Park and President Barack Obama will be attending the Nuclear Security Summit scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in The Hague.