Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that he is determined to further develop ties between Moscow and Beijing.

Putin met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on Wednesday.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of a Kremlin-sponsored international economic forum. That conference, which is called the Eastern Economic Forum, began the day before.

Putin noted that relations between China and Russia have reached an unprecedentedly high level. He said that the two sides attach great importance to interregional cooperation.

He added that the two nations will be able to explore and find new areas of cooperation during the forum.

Putin underscored his readiness to further enhance ties with Beijing. Those ties have been getting stronger, since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

Han said that China "actively supports and participates in the development and cooperation of Russia's Far East region." He added that China is ready to share development opportunities with Russia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other world leaders are also attending the forum. It appears that Russia is anxious to demonstrate that it is not isolated in the international arena.

On Thursday Putin is expected to deliver a speech at the forum. He is also expected to participate in a panel discussion with Anwar and Han.