Comprehensive plan for Russia's Arctic development includes five areas - Murmansk governor
MURMANSK. Dec 26 (Interfax) - The comprehensive project Arctic and Transarctic Transport Corridor (ATTC), developed on the instructions of the Russian president, includes five main areas, Murmansk region Governor Andrei Chibis said in an interview with Interfax.
"The Arctic should develop as a single living organism, in all spheres: from economics to social projects. We have repeatedly emphasized this throughout 2025 at various forums, including the State Council commission 'Northern Sea Route and Arctic', the International Arctic Forum and the Maritime Board," Chibis said.
Chibis characterized the Arctic development plan as a "megaproject of the 21st century."
"The first [area] guarantees national security by modernizing CATF [closed administrative-territorial formations] infrastructure and creating an advanced emergency rescue system along the Transarctic Corridor," he said.
Chibis named the second area as the development of the Arctic's mineral resource base.
"Even today we face a challenge: after 2035, a decrease in the ATTC cargo base is expected due to the natural depletion of Russian deposits, and yet the ATTC is the key logistical framework for all Arctic investment projects. Therefore, we already need to think about expanding geological exploration and building modern support infrastructure, which will undoubtedly open new horizons for the entire economy, turning the Arctic into a source of wealth on a strategic scale," he said.
The third area is the development of the ATTC itself, "namely, increasing the icebreaker, cargo and auxiliary fleet, modernizing port capacities and increasing the throughput capacity of highways," he said.
The fourth area is strengthening research centers, creating testing grounds and developing innovative technologies for the extreme conditions of the Arctic, while the fifth concerns environmental responsibility.
"It is obvious that it is impossible to exclude anything from this system; every element is important, which is why we insist that Arctic development can only be comprehensive. Importantly, we are supported in this by the Russian president as well," Chibis said.
Chibis presented the comprehensive project for Arctic development and the formation of the ATTC from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on November 24.
In March, at the Arctic: Territory of Dialogue forum, Putin instructed the government, with the participation of the Rosatom state corporation, VEB and the relevant State Council commission, to approve the financial, economic and organizational model for the development of the ATTC by August 1.
