Kremlin transport envoy proposes creating bulk and container fleet operator for Northern Sea Route

MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - An operator to ship bulk and containerized cargo needs to be created for the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) at this stage, the Russian president's advisor and special representative for international cooperation in transport, Igor Levitin said.

"Our objective at this stage is to create a shipper with a bulk carrier fleet, container ships. And there is such a possibility right now. Rosatom has a number of large logistics companies that can also ship this cargo," Levitin said at the first meeting of the State Council's Commission for the Northern Sea Route and Arctic on Wednesday.

"Well, and, of course, one of the most important objectives, I believe, is to establish international transit along the Northern Sea Route. Then we'll be able to say that the NSR international transport corridor has come about," Levitin said.

"There are currently hydrocarbon shipments along the NSR, but there is no ice-class bulk carrier or container ship fleet, it's an open question," Levitin told reporters after the meeting.

He also said that work on this issue is being done with foreign partners, and that transport and logistics companies controlled by state corporation Rosatom could come up with a pilot project to build vessels of this type.

The Commission for the Northern Sea Route and Arctic, which is chaired by Murmansk Region Governor Andrei Chibis, discussed proposals for updating Russia's strategy for developing the Arctic, as well as approaches to improving living standards for residents in key population centers in this region its first meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.

Proposals to develop the NSR put forward at the meeting included updating the analysis of the target cargo base and formulating scenarios for cargo traffic and the need for high ice-class vessels, including icebreakers. There was also a proposal to strengthen cooperation with friendly countries in the Arctic on shipbuilding and port infrastructure development projects.

Chibis stressed at the meeting that strategic documents concerning the development of the Arctic and its transport system, including the NSR, need to be updated with an expansion of the planning horizon to 2050.