CHOLPON-ATA /Kyrgyzstan/, July 24. /TASS/. Trade and economic relations between Russia and China continue to grow despite actions by Western countries, with bilateral trade expected to reach another record high by the end of the year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"Despite the obstacles being created by our Western colleagues, trade and economic relations are on the rise. In the first half of this year alone, trade turnover increased by another 25%, and, judging by current trends, we will set another record by the end of the year," Lavrov said at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers' meeting.

The Russian foreign minister noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met more than 50 times in total, both during bilateral visits and on the sidelines of international events. "There will also be many events this year that will provide opportunities for another meeting between our leaders," Lavrov added.