Lavrov Praises 'Historic' Russian-Chinese Treaty On Good Neighborliness, Friendship

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2021) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has commended the Russian-Chinese Treaty on Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation on its 20th anniversary, calling it a historic agreement between the two countries that have built unprecedented relations.

On June 28, presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping announced an extension of the treaty for another five years.

"This is undoubtedly a historic document that has absorbed the centuries-old positive experience of cooperation developed by our countries. It has not only reflected the long-time traditions of good neighborliness and friendship between the Russian and Chinese peoples but also created a vision of a new model of interstate relations," Lavrov wrote in an article for the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.

This model, according to the foreign minister, plays a crucial role in maintaining stable multipolar world order, ensuring security and stability.

"Relations between Russia and China have reached unprecedented heights and have become an example of interstate cooperation in the 21st century.

As in every success story, here too there are pivotal nodes that set the vector of its steady development for years to come," Lavrov added.

The top diplomat went on to say that China remains Russia's key trading partner with the bilateral turnover being at over $100 billion in the past three years.

"There is every reason to expect trade to rise to record levels by the end of 2021, and in the future � to reach the target of $200 billion," the article further read.

Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to $177 billion, while the first half of 2021 saw more than a 20% increase year-on-year despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Russian-Chinese Treaty has successfully stood the test of time," Lavrov concluded.

The treaty was signed by Putin and then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin on July 16, 2001, and ratified on February 28, 2002.