Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Serbia on November 1, the day of liberation of Belgrade in the First World War in 1918, Serbian media said on Friday evening.

Belgrade-based Vecernje novosti newspaper said in its Saturday edition that a large military parade would be organised to mark the 100th anniversary since the end of the Great War and that the head of the Russian Federation would attend.

The newspaper said that on that occasion Serbia could receive a Russian military donation of 30 modernised BRDM-2 armoured fighting vehicles and 30 T-72 tanks, agreed in 2016 as part of defence cooperation between the two countries.

Russia's Ambassador to Belgrade, Alexander Chepurin, confirmed during a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier on Friday that Putin had accepted the invitation from his Serbian counterpart to visit.

Vucic's office said in a statement that Putin's reply was “a great honour to Serbia” and “a confirmation of traditionally friendly Serbian-Russian ties.”

Chepurin “thanked President Vucic for the high level of bilateral relations,” adding that the forthcoming visit was “an expression of Moscow's desire and intention to deepen the cooperation between the two countries.”

Several cooperation agreements are expected to be signed during Putin's visit.