Updated 02:21 a.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, October 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have decided to continue carrying out dialogue at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Italy's Milan, scheduled at October 16-17, the Kremlin press service said Thursday.
"It has been arranged to continue dialogue at various levels, in particular, in the course of the upcoming "Asia-Europe" [ASEM] forum on October 16-17," the statement, released after a phone conversation between the two leaders, reads.
Earlier, reports in the Russian media said President Putin may take part in the work of the forum in Milan. Also, the Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko has said he could meet with Putin in Europe within the next three weeks.
Established in 1996, the ASEM is an informal platform for international dialogue, bringing together a total of 48 European and Asian nations. ASEM Summit of Heads of State and Governments, to be hosted by Milan on October 16-17, will be chaired by the President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy in association with the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso.
