BEIJING, August 18. /TASS/. Moscow and Beijing are preparing a set of joint documents that are expected to be signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to China in October, Deputy Director-General of the Department of the European and Central Asian Region of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Cheng Yikun said.

"We already work with our Russian colleagues if we are speaking about the final documents, which will be signed following the meeting between our leaders during the upcoming ‘Belt and Road’ forum," he told journalists.

"We will inform you about the results in due time. We are still in the stage of drafting these documents," Cheng Yikun added.

Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said in late July that the Russian head of state was expected to visit China in October, when the ‘Belt and Road’ forum was scheduled to take place.

Since 2000, Putin has visited China 17 times, with the latest visit being paid on February 4, 2022, to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games. Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited Russia eight times since 2013, when he took office. In all, the two leaders have met at least 30 times.

The Belt and Road Initiative, a concept proposed by Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to intensify international trade and investment projects involving a large number of nations and with the use of Chinese and foreign capital. Over 150 countries and 30 international organizations have already joined the initiative.