“By steadfastly pursuing dialogue, we will continue to make every diplomatic effort possible to ease tensions and achieve stability in the region,” Abe said at a news conference on Monday.
“As one of those efforts, we are currently in talks about a visit by President Rouhani to Japan,” he said, confirming earlier reports that a trip by the Iranian president was on the agenda, AP reported.
He did not give details of the visit. Local media have reported that it is being arranged for later this month, before or after Rouhani’s planned visit to Malaysia to attend an Islamic leaders’ conference.
Back in June, Abe traveled to Iran on a first visit by a Japanese premier in more than 40 years, with a plan to help ease tensions between the Islamic Republic and the United States.
Abe said in his meeting with Iranian officials that Japan sought to play a maximum role in preventing tensions, stressing “this has been the focus of my trip to Iran.”
Iran says it is still open to the possibility of talks but only on the condition that the US returns to the 2015 nuclear deal and lifts all sanctions.