Shoigu: Arctic cleaning to be Russian Geographic Society's priority
MOSCOW. Jan 24 (Interfax) - The Russian Geographic Society will continue cleaning the Arctic, Society President, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the opening ceremony of the "Pristine Russia" photo exhibition.
"Certainly, we are doing a job in the Arctic: there are lots of photographs from expeditions of the Russian Geographic Society here. This is a separate program, which includes the cleaning of the Arctic. The Natural Resources Ministry and we will carry on these efforts under the supervision of Russian Geographic Society Trustee Council Chairman Vladimir Putin," Shoigu said.
Much has been done in the recent years: tens of thousands of barrels containing fuel and lubricants and over 5,000 tonnes of fuel oil, diesel fuel and kerosene have been removed from the Arctic, he said.
"Sure, the contribution of the Russian Geographic Society was big but before that there was a large photo exhibition. We showed what was going on in our Arctic areas and on the shore of our northern seas," he said.
"One cannot help but be impressed by" the photographs from the Arctic, he added.