Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during an interview that aired Sunday said the relationship between the U.S. and Russia is at its lowest point in decades.

"The president, I think, has made it clear that he feels it's important that we reengage with Russia," Tillerson told NBC's "Meet The Press."

"The relationship with Russia, as he has described, and I have described as well, is, I think, at an all-time low point since the end of the Cold War, with a very low level of trust."

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Tillerson said he thinks it's in the interest of the American people and of those around the world that the U.S. tries to improve its relationship with Russia.

"So the president, I think, is committed to at least make an effort in that regard," he said, "and he has certainly asked me to make an important effort as well."

Tillerson also said that there is wide agreement that it's not "healthy" for the world for the U.S.-Russia relationship to "remain at this low level."

"Whether we can improve it or not remains to be seen," he said. "It's going to take some time. It's going to take a lot of hard work."

The secretary of State during the interview also addressed the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, noting the U.S. isn't trying to start "with a clean state" with Russia.