MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss preparations for talks within the format of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) due to be held in Milan on October 16-17, the Kremlin press service said on Sunday.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the initiative of the German side,” the press service said.

“The two leaders discussed preparations for talks in the framework of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit due in Milan on October 16-17, 2014.”

Earlier, on October 9, Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov said that the Russian president might meet Merkel and with Presidents of Ukraine and France, Petrо Poroshenko and Francois Hollande, respectively, at the ASEM summit.