MOSCOW, March 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Chinese president will discuss economic cooperation and current international issues, including North Korea and Iran, during his upcoming visit to Russia, a Kremlin source said Saturday.

Hu Jintao will pay an official visit to Russia March 26-28, the Kremlin press service said Monday. Jintao will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the two leaders will participate in a ceremony to open Year of China in Russia and a Chinese exhibition.

"International issues will include North Korea's nuclear program, the situation in Iran, cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the future of the UN," the official said, adding a joint declaration and a number of cooperation agreements will be signed during the visit.

Beijing hosted the latest, sixth round of talks to persuade North Korea to abandon nuclear research, but it was suspended until technical issues involved with the unfreezing of North Korea's bank accounts are resolved.

Russia and China, both permanent veto-wielding UN Security Council members, are also involved in the ongoing dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions, advocating more moderate means of dissuading the Islamic Republic from uranium enrichment activities.