VLADIVOSTOK - Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping on Wednesday took a break from the heavy lifting of international diplomacy to toss pancakes on the sidelines of an economic forum. Xi is one of the big names at the event in the Russian far eastern city of Vladivostok, where the focus has been on economic ties and North Korea. But the two leaders found time to flip blini on "Far East Street", an exhibition of the region's cultural and economic achievements. Photos showed Putin and Xi, wearing blue aprons, pouring out batter and turning the pancakes over before eating them with caviar and a shot of vodka. The pair earlier in the day praised their countries' increasingly close ties, with Xi saying their "friendship was getting stronger all the time". This is not Putin and Xi's first foray into batter-based cooking. During a visit to China in June, the Russian leader made a Chinese pancake which Xi tried. - AFP