By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he would be open to having his first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Slovenia, his wife's birthplace.

Putin's comments came at a news conference with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor in Moscow, according to a statement by Kremlin.

"I would like to express my gratitude for Slovenia's willingness to organize this meeting," Putin said.

"However, this does not depend only on us. It also depends on the U.S.," he said, adding "but naturally, we are ready for it". "Ljubljana, and Slovenia as a whole, of course, it is a wonderful place for such talks."

Putin said relations between the two countries had degraded "significantly" over the past years, and "need to be restored in the interests of both the Russian and the American people".

"This concerns trade and economic ties, security issues and the various parts of the world that are affected by numerous conflicts; and of course, by pooling our efforts, we can make a substantial contribution to resolving these issues, including the fight against international terrorism," he added.

Trump spoke with Putin on the phone on Jan. 28 for the first time since the former was elected last November.

Relations between Russia and America have also warmed, with Trump praising Putin in the run-up to his inauguration last month.