Russia says Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit China next week and meet with his counterpart Wang Yi.

Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced on Tuesday that Lavrov will stay in Beijing from October 16 to 18 to coincide with the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to visit Beijing to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the event. It will be the first time for Putin to travel to China since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian president is apparently aiming to try to strengthen relations with Beijing as Moscow's rift with Western countries is deepening over Ukraine.

Lavrov also plans to visit North Korea later this month. But Zakharova said the schedule has yet to be finalized.