Hanoi, Nov 11 (UNI) US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have informally spoken to each other multiple times during the two-day APEC Summit in Da Nang in Vietnam, the CNN News reported on Saturday.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders had earlier told the reporters that Mr Trump would not hold a formal meeting with Mr Putin at the APEC Summit.
Trump and Putin were seen casually talking while walking to a photo-op at the Asian-Pacific Rim summit on Saturday. Flanked by sizable entourages, the two spoke for much of the walk down to a vista and stood next to each other for a photo.
The chat, while brief, looked friendly, with both leaders speaking with their hands.
Any interaction between the two world leaders is closely watched given the swirl of investigations into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, an issue that has plagued the Trump Administration for months. Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation issued his first indictments last week, bringing charges against former top Trump campaign aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, who have pleaded not guilty.
Trump and Putin also shook hands and spoke briefly before an APEC plenary session on Saturday and the two world leaders briefly met during a so-called class photo on Friday night, where all the heads of state come together to take a photo before the summit officially starts.
The two shook hands and briefly spoke before the photo was snapped. Both wore the oversized, blue traditional-style Vietnamese shirt provided by the host country and stood next to one another for the picture.
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