Today in Moscow, under the chairmanship of the Assistant to the President of Russia, Chairman of the Marine Board Nikolai Patrushev, a meeting of the Marine Board of the Russian Federation was held, at which a decision was made to form a comprehensive project "Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and the Northern Sea Route". Governor Andrei Chibis also took part in the meeting.

The Russian Arctic occupies 30% of the country's territory and is its resource base. The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation contains 76% of Russia's total reserves of combustible natural gas, 21% of oil, 60% of rare earth metals, 41% of copper, and about 50% of lithium. For individual minerals, the reserves in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation constitute a significant percentage of the world's total.

Aide to the President of Russia, Chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolai Patrushev noted that accelerating the economic and infrastructural development of the Arctic zone, maintaining control over the Arctic territory, as well as the shelf and the Northern Sea Route, are Russia's most important tasks.

The Arctic is also a key region in terms of ensuring Russia's security.

"Climate change and technological development create more opportunities for the development of significant resource reserves and the use of the Arctic's transport potential. In these conditions, the Arctic zone of Russia is becoming a territory of key importance for the implementation of national interests and ensuring national security. The longest part of Russia's state border passes here - about 20 thousand kilometers, which must be protected and defended from the increasingly frequent provocative actions of our Arctic neighbors," Nikolai Patrushev emphasized.

During the meeting, measures were considered to ensure the protection and security of the Russian state border in the Arctic latitudes, ensuring military security, developing dual-use facilities and emergency rescue infrastructure, and forming a satellite constellation and communication systems.

Particular attention is paid to the development of mineral resource centers, science and technology in the interests of innovative development of the Arctic, environmental safety and environmental protection.

Proposals have been developed aimed at developing technologies adapted for use in Arctic conditions, as well as updating the research fleet and intensifying marine scientific research in the Arctic.

One of the key priorities in the development of the Arctic is the creation of comfortable living conditions.

"In our opinion, the project "Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and the Northern Sea Route" can receive the status of a national project. We will all continue to work on this together," Governor Andrei Chibis commented following the meeting.


/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /
Photo: press service of the Russian Maritime Collegium