Washington  - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said Saturday in Washington that he looked forward to working with US president- elect Barack Obama.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Group of 20 nations to address the world economic crisis, Aso was asked about his thoughts on Obama.

"Obama-san?" he asked, before saying they had spoken over the phone since the November 4 election. And though it was difficult to know much about his personality from the brief discussion, Aso said that Obama appeared to show an interest in Asia.

Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, told Aso he had passed through Japan while flying there and was interested in the country, the Japanese leader said.

"It is important for us to have someone at the helm who is knowledgeable about Asia," Aso said. (dpa)