MOSCOW, July 16. /TASS/. Russian-Chinese relations have reached an unprecedentedly high level, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an op-ed for Russia’s Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper and China’s People's Daily, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Russian-Chinese Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.
"Relations between Russia and China have reached unprecedented heights, becoming a perfect example of cooperation between countries in the 21st century. As with every success story, there are certain benchmarks that direct the movement forward for years to come," Lavrov pointed out. He stressed that the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation by Russian President Vladimir Putin and then Chinese leader Jiang Zemin had become a milestone in relations between the two countries.
"It reflected the long-standing traditions of good-neighborliness and friendship between the Russian and Chinese people and outlined the vision of a new model of ties between the two countries. A model that is in line with the core national interests of both countries and the aspirations of their people, and plays an important role in maintaining a stable multipolar world order, guaranteeing security and stability," the Russian top diplomat emphasized.
According to him, the key provisions of the treaty formed the basis of hundreds of bilateral documents and influenced the development of a legal framework for the two countries’ relations with third nations.
Lavrov noted that Moscow and Beijing had "political will, economic feasibility and matching foreign policy priorities" to boost their strategic partnership.