MOSCOW, November 11. /TASS/. Russia and China will decide how to affirm and deepen the treaty of good neighborhood, friendship and cooperation by its expiry date in 2026, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russian mass media in an interview.

"I assure you the date of July 16, 2026 will not go unexpected. Administrations of the Russian President and the President of China will deal with how specifically our interaction with Chinese friends will be confirmed, developed and deepened, and their certainly be a report at the top executive level," Lavrov said.

The relations between the two countries are unprecedently closed, advanced and confident, the Russian foreign minister added.

The Treaty of Good Neighborhood, Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and China was signed by President Vladimir Putin and President Jiang Zemin on July 16, 2001 in Moscow. Its term was twenty years. The treaty was renewed for five years in June 2021.