Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will visit China next month.

He made the announcement during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on Wednesday.

Putin said he will accept an invitation by Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit China in October, expressing his intention to visit the country to coincide with the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

In March, Xi visited Moscow and invited Putin to China to participate in the forum. It is believed that a bilateral summit will also be held.

If realized, it would be Putin's first visit to China since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

During the meeting with Wang, Putin said the two countries are both in a stance of forming a "multipolar world."

Observers say Putin is aiming to strengthen Russia's relations with China, as a rift between his country and the West is widening over Ukraine.