Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has tasked the Transport Ministry, the Far East Development Ministry and Rosatom state corporation with submitting a development strategy on the transport infrastructure in the Arctic until 2035 to the government by June 2021, according to a Monday statement by the government
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd November, 2020) Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has tasked the Transport Ministry, the Far East Development Ministry and Rosatom state corporation with submitting a development strategy on the transport infrastructure in the Arctic until 2035 to the government by June 2021, according to a Monday statement by the government.
Mishustin visited the Arctic on October 21 to attend the ceremony of a new Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker Arctika's commissioning. The prime minister stressed that, though Russia is an undisputed leader in the development of the Arctic, the country needed to act more actively in the region to meet the national security and economic demands.
"Until May 31, 2021, the government shall receive a strategy on the development of the port, railway and airport infrastructure in the Russian Arctic zone, designed for the next ten years and for the period until 2035. It will allow to provide a comprehensive solution to the goal and create the conditions for the increase in the transportation of export and transit cargo through the Northern Sea Route," the government said.
Also, the responsible parties, together with the energy ministry, should present a long-term forecast for the cargo traffic in the waters of the Russian Arctic.
Russia is one of the five countries, including Canada, Denmark, Norway and the US, that border the Arctic. Over two million Russian citizens live in the region, making Russia the largest arctic country in terms of population. Russia is the only country that possesses a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, which allows it to use the shortest trade route from Europe to Asia � the Northern Sea Route � despite the season.
