Russia, Sweden pledge to step up cooperation

MOSCOW, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Sweden clinched on Tuesday a series of agreements in a bid to strengthen cooperation in various fields including energy and the crackdown on organized crime.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) shakes hands with Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt in Moscow, capital of Russia, March 9, 2010. Reinfeldt met with Medvedev on Tuesday, signing a series of documents. (Xinhua/Alexandrov)

The documents were signed in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and visiting Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt after their talks in the Kremlin.

The Russian Energy Ministry and the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Energy signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Other agreements pertain to cooperation on fighting against organized crime, health care, social insurance, culture, as well as the research and peaceful use of outer space.  

At a news conference after the Kremlin talks, Medvedev recalled that a Swedish prime minister visited Russia last time in 2000.

"Such long pauses are simply unacceptable between the neighboring countries," he was quoted as saying the Interfax new agency.

Medvedev said Moscow and Stockholm were "vigorously promoting economic cooperation, and Sweden was "Russia's key partner in Europe."

He urged both countries to boost bilateral trade, which quadrupled in the past five years before declining slightly last year due to the global economic crisis.

Reinfeldt's visit to Russia is viewed as a thaw in the bilateral relationship after it plunged to lows in August 2008 over Swedish criticism of a brief war between Russia and Georgia.