MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. Russia is striving to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Nepal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a congratulatory telegram sent to his Nepalese counterpart Shishir Khanal on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"Relations between Russia and Nepal have always been friendly in nature and are based on the principles of mutual respect and consideration of each other's core interests. We reaffirm our readiness for joint work aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our peoples," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

The ministry on Smolenskaya Square also added that Moscow is confident that Russian-Nepalese interaction will contribute to maintaining stability and security at the regional and international levels.