MOSCOW - President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin started talks Friday, a day before the parade marking the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War, Russia's term for WWII.

It is the first meeting between the two leaders so far this year. They are expected to discuss bilateral ties and international issues of mutual concern.

Xi paid a state visit to Russia days after he assumed the presidency of China in March 2013, while Putin paid a state visit to China and attended the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia last May.

By now, Xi has sit down for bilateral talks with Putin for eight times since he became Chinese president, highlighting the distinctiveness of the China-Russia relations.

During their previous talks, the two leaders have made consensus to jointly commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 2015.

Xi will join leaders of many other countries for the Victory Day parade on the Red Square and lay wreath to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Saturday.

Xi arrived in Moscow earlier Friday after visiting Kazakhstan. After Russia, Xi will make a two-day visit to Belarus.