Mishustin: Rosatom to be responsible for organization of shipping via NSR

MOSCOW. June 2 (Interfax) - Shipping on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) will be managed by Rosatom, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said, opening a government meeting.

"The President [Russian President Vladimir Putin] has instructed the government to introduce amendments to legislation stipulating centralization of powers for management of the Northern Sea Route. The Rosatom state corporation, which operates a unique domestic icebreaker fleet, will be responsible for organizing vessel traffic in the waters of the Northern Sea Route," he said.

At the meeting, the government will also discuss measures to improve efficiency of public expenditures related to construction of all types of sea- and river-going ships.

"Ambitious tasks are planned as part of the industry strategy, which will require maximum loading of Russian shipyards for years to come, including building up the Arctic fleet, serial production of powerful nuclear icebreakers required for year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route," Mishustin said.

"On the instructions of the president, the government has developed amendments to the federal law 'On Industrial Policy'. They eliminate gaps in the legislation, due to which at the initial stage of design it is difficult to evaluate the reliability of calculations of the cost of a vessel's construction. A clear and understandable procedure will be adopted for such expert evaluations. The relevant authority has been given to the Ministry of Industry and Trade," he said.

"We expect the amendments to be adopted as soon as possible. They will bring government spending under control and make it more transparent and predictable, as well as accelerate the allocation of budgetary funds to put new ships on the slipways," the prime minister said.

"Rosatom has become the operator for Northern Sea Route infrastructure, including the nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, since 2018. At the same time, during discussions on the division of authority over the NSR, Rosatom and the Ministry of Transport disagreed over administrative functions. Rosatom should be a single operator of the management of shipping on the Northern Sea Route, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev said. Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunov said that "a consensus is forming that the most natural entity that could consolidate icebreaking and route all traffic flows on the Northern Sea Route" could be Rosatom.