Moscow (AFP)
The blockade of the Suez Canal illustrates the need to develop the seaway in the Russian Arctic, a route increasingly practicable because of climate change, Russian diplomacy ruled on Friday.
"The Suez Canal incident has highlighted the need above all for the further development of the Northern Sea Route", noted Nikolai Korchunov, responsible for international cooperation in the Arctic for the Russian Foreign Ministry. , quoted by the Interfax news agency.
President Vladimir Putin has made the exploitation of the Arctic a strategic priority, in particular the creation of a seaway along the northern coasts to connect Europe to Asia and compete with the Suez Canal which sees approximately 10% of global sea freight.
Climate change and the receding summer sea ice make this project more realistic even if, at the present time, seeing it as a practicable and reliable route is premature.
Russia is, however, developing a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers.
Mr. Korchounov notes, however, that the paralysis of traffic on the Suez Canal by a failed container ship "forces everyone to think about the diversification of strategic sea lanes".
Russian weather agency Rosguidromet revealed in a report Thursday that Russia has recorded a record heat for the year 2020 and a historic decline in summer sea ice on the Northern Sea Route.
Compared to the 1980s, the area of ice there is "5 to 7 times less", the agency said, and "in 2020 the area of ice cover in September reached a record low with 26,000 km2".
Russian companies also exploit large deposits of oil and gas, coal and precious minerals in the Arctic.
© 2021 AFP