Russia welcomes the amount of countries that sent their representatives to the International Youth Festival in Russia, but the country is not completing with anyone, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
"We are very pleased that so many representatives have arrived from almost 190 countries of the world, from all continents, but I want to emphasize that we are not competing with anyone, we do not want to prove anything to anyone," Putin said at meeting with the festival participants.
Russia’s Doors Are Open to Everyone, Russia is a Friend: Putin
"You have come to Russia, you have many friends here, I want you to know that all of Russia is now your friend. We are always open to you, to all your noble undertakings," the president noted.
"If we are all equal, there is no place in the world for any kind of exclusivity, no place in the world for any arrogance, segregation, or similar things that are based on this distorted ground of anyone's exclusivity," he emphasized.