Contacts between people will help bridge the gaps between Moscow and Berlin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday at a closing ceremony of the Russian-German cross Year of Regional and Municipal Partnerships.

"We hope that the rich history of the Russian-German comprehensive cooperation, wide business and humanitarian exchanges, contacts between people will help bridge the existing gaps and will not allow differences in Moscow’s and Berlin’s positions on these or those issues dominate the entire complex of bilateral ties," he said.

"I am convinced that the historic reconciliation between Russia and Germany and the role of our country in Germany’s reunification are the greatest achievements not only of our countries and peoples but, it would not be an exaggeration to say, of entire Europe," Lavrov stressed. "And we must cherish these achievements as the apple of the eye."

According to the Russian top diplomat, strategically, "there simply is no alternative" to relations of broad and constructive partnership between Russia and Germany. "We will continue efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of Russia and Germany in the name of peace, stability and prosperity on our continent and in the entire world," he said.