Putin to discuss disputed islands with Japan's Abe at APEC summit - aide

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference at Tegel airport after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany, October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Peru this week to discuss a long-running territorial dispute over a group of Pacific islands, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Thursday. He was referring to what Russia refers to as the Kuril islands and Japan calls the Northern Territories. Putin will also hold his first talks with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss the possibility of supplying Russian liquefied natural gas and hydrocarbons to Manila, said Ushakov. Both meetings will take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; Writing by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Andrew Osborn)