Tapping Northern Sea Route's transport, logistics potential key to Arctic development - Russian presidential aide

MURMANSK. Aug 19 (Interfax) - Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Dikson, Tiksi and Pevek are the Arctic ports that need to be developed first of all in order to allow the Northern Sea Route to become one of Russia's main transport arteries, Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev, who oversees the country's national maritime policy, said.

Steps to take advantage of the transport and logistics potential of the Northern Sea Route play a key role in Arctic development efforts, Patrushev said in Murmansk at a meeting on safeguarding Russia's national interests in the Arctic. The Northern Sea Route's significance as a transport corridor and the shortest route between Europe and Asia has been growing, he said.

"In order to allow the Northern Sea Route to take on the role of one of Russia's major transport arteries, it is necessary to modernize infrastructure and ensure the development of ports as part of the Northern Sea Route, above all the ports of Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Dikson, Tiksi and Pevek," Patrushev said.

"Furthermore, it is necessary to more actively use the potential of inland waterways - our largest rivers such as the Lena, the Ob, the Yenisei, as well as canals, including the White Sea-Baltic Canal," he said.

The transport connectivity of the northwest, Siberia and the Far East of Russia will be improved considerably as a result, he said.