Earlier in the day, Radkov arrived in Vancouver to take part in a ceremony dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the first nonstop flight from the Soviet Union to the United States.
"Today, 80 years since that memorable event, we live in a world that has significantly changed and is full of new challenges and tasks. And we are confident that our countries can and should jointly respond to these challenges, using economic and political tools alongside humanitarian and scientific cooperation," Radkov said in a welcoming speech.
Radkov stressed that the first direct flight from Moscow to Vancouver conducted by the crew of Valery Chkalov could serve as a good example of "cooperation that lie in the base of good neighborly relations between separate people and countries."
"Such examples are necessary for the development of contacts between Russia and the United States," Radkov added.
US President Franklin Roosevelt personally met with the Soviet pilots. Following the crew's return to the Soviet Union, all its members were awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
In 1975, an obelisk was built up on the airfield to commemorate this event.