President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia telephoned the singer-songwriter Elton John, who had asked for a meeting with him to discuss the status of gay rights in Russia.
"Putin spoke with Elton John," the president's spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, told reporters on Thursday after Mr. Putin held a meeting at Russia's agro-industrial complex in Semikarakorsk.
Mr. Peskov added: "Putin said that he knows what a popular performer Elton John is, and in the future, if their schedules coincide, he will be ready to meet with him and discuss any questions that are of interest."
In an interview during a visit to Ukraine earlier this month, Mr. John told the BBC's diplomatic correspondent that he wanted to meet Mr. Putin in person, calling the Russian president's approach toward gay people "isolating and prejudiced."