President of Russia Vladimir Putin noted that Russia and Canada were neighbors in the Arctic and share the responsibility for the development of the region, at the presentation of 23 foreign ambassadors' letters of credence at the Kremlin.

"We are open to cooperation with Canada based on mutual respect for and consideration of each other's interests. Canada and Russia are neighbors in the Arctic and share common responsibility for ensuring the sustainable development of this vast region, preserving the traditional way of life of the indigenous peoples and taking good care of its fragile ecosystem," Vladimir Putin noted.

The president also called Russian-Swedish relations those of respect and neighborliness and added: "We are keen to promote cooperation with Sweden in the spirit of good-neighborliness and mutual respect. Held in St. Petersburg last year, our talks with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven have confirmed that our two countries have the capacity for invigorating our economic, cultural and humanitarian contacts and for joint work on matters related to the Baltic Sea and other regional affairs."