Canada "won't be bullied by Russia" when it comes to defending its interests in the Arctic, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Friday.
He was responding to media reports that Moscow will create a special military force dedicated to patrolling and protecting Russia's Arctic interests.
Russia has also announced plans to create a new fleet of high- powered, nuclear-armed submarines which could be used to patrol the strategic area.
Speaking in Montreal to the International Relations Council on Arctic Sovereignty, Cannon said he will make Canada's position clear to the Russian foreign minister at a meeting next week.
Canada is among several countries in the world, including Russia, the United States and a number of Nordic European nations that are seeking to assert jurisdiction in the disputed territory in the Arctic region which holds many untapped natural resources.
The dispute has intensified as shrinking polar ice has allowed the opening of new shipping lanes to those natural resources.
While sovereignty over the Arctic is of "uppermost" importance, Canada is committed to working with other countries on issues like environmental protection and economic development in the region, said Cannon.
A spokesman for Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said Friday the government is considering several options to improve surveillance and response capabilities in the North, including more patrol ships and training exercises.
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