India, South Korea, UAE showing interest in Northern Sea Route projects in addition to China
MOSCOW. July 21 (Interfax) - Russia's Northern Sea Route (NSR) is becoming a strategic alternative to traditional international maritime corridors, and the NSR is attracting the attention of a wide range of international partners, with India, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to China, showing interest in NSR projects, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev said at a roundtable discussion on developing the NSR.
"In addition to our main strategic partner, China, we have seen solid interest in developing transport and logistics projects from India, South Korea, the UAE, and a number of Southeast Asian countries. Collaborating with these countries is becoming a priority," Kosachev said.
Launching the regular Express NSR No. 1 multimodal route in July 2024, which connects Chinese ports at Shanghai and Ningbo with Arkhangelsk as part of the Ice Silk Road joint initiative, was practical confirmation of international collaboration, Kosachev said.
Kosachev highlighted the factors increasing demand for the Arctic route.
"Geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which poses risks to shipping through the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, renders the NSR a predictable alternative. Furthermore, climate change has substantially extended the navigation period along the NSR, which has reached 160 days in the past ten years versus around 70 days in the 1980s," he said.
Kosachev has also acknowledged the challenges associated with Western sanctions against Russia that have complicated vessel insurance and access to foreign arbitration for dispute resolution.
The discussion regarding the legal status of the NSR is also ongoing, Kosachev noted. Russia insists on the interpretation of Article 234 of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which substantiates the permit-based navigation regime along the NSR.
"We view it as a historically established national transport corridor, not an international strait," he said.
The priority is finding a compromise between Russia's sovereignty in the Arctic and the interests of non-Arctic states, Kosachev said.
International cooperation in the Arctic continues in the scientific sphere despite the foreign policy situation, he added.
As an example, Kosachev cited the memorandum on creating an international scientific and educational center on Spitsbergen, which will operate with the participation of China. Kosachev also emphasized the importance of joint research on climate change in the Arctic.
