TASHKENT, July 15. /TASS/. The relations between Russia and China are at their highest level ever, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the high-level international conference, Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities, held in Tashkent on Thursday.

"I would like to fully share your assessment of our bilateral relations as the best ever. Following the results of their video conference, the heads of state adopted a joint statement, stressing that the Treaty on Good Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation, whose 20th anniversary we are celebrating played a crucial role in cultivating [our] contemporary bilateral relations, comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction," Russia’s top diplomat pointed out.

"Let me single out the quote from the statement, which stipulates that our ties today outpace the form of inter-state interaction that was the military-political alliances of the Cold War period. This is the most essential benchmark for our relations in all areas without exception," he said.

The 26th regular meeting of the heads of governments is on the agenda, the Russian foreign minister said. "All the sectoral mechanisms led by deputy prime ministers are functioning. Of course, our ministry is contributing to the positive agenda that Russia and China are promoting on the international scene," the top diplomat said.