Maritime activities amid new challenges, threats increasingly becoming sphere of global competition - Patrushev

ST. PETERSBURG. June 10 (Interfax) - The significance of the World Ocean at the current level of global economic development is steadily increasing, Russian presidential aide and Maritime Board head Nikolai Patrushev said.

"Russia, as one of the largest sea powers, is implementing a maritime policy that takes global tendencies into account, as well as emerging challenges and threats to the development of maritime activities," Patrushev said at a meeting of the Maritime Board science-expert council held at the international naval show Fleet 2026 in Kronstadt.

Among key tasks, Patrushev mentioned the need to ensure safe navigation and unimpeded access to sea transport communications amid current geopolitical crises and the need to develop global trade, the transition to deepwater extraction of mineral resources in connection with the depletion of ground natural resources and active development of global shipbuilding.

"New engines and power installations using ecological fuel types are being developed for the effective exploration of the resources and spaces of the World Ocean. New materials that help create lighter, faster, and more energy-efficient vessels, including autonomous ones, are being introduced," he said.

In addition, the technical equipemnt needed to increase the volume of scientific research on the World Ocean is being actively improved, he said. They are often dual-purpose, which makes it possible to collect additional information, including on the activities of naval forces.

"In this situation, maritime activities are increasingly become a sphere of global competition, primarily in the sphere of technological development. In this regard, the development of maritime activities is no longer merely a task of developing specific industries," Patrushev said.