Prime ministerJapan Abe. (Source: AFP/Getty Images)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his desire on September 4 to hold a meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye on the sidelines of a trilateral summit with China, which is likely to take place at the end of October, Kyodo reported.

Speaking on a television program, Mr. Abe said: "I want to hold a summit with Ms. Park Geun-hye and need to hold such meetings more often when the two neighboring countries have problems."

The Japanese prime minister called South Korea an "important neighbor and economic partner" while noting that "there are many international issues that we need to resolve together."

If it takes place, it will be the first formal meeting between the leaders of Japan and South Korea since they took power, Mr. Abe in 2012 and Ms. Park Geun-hye in 2013.

Previously on September 2, China and South Korea agreed to hold a trilateral summit with Japan, at the earliest in late October 2015./.

According to VN+