The North-Western Basin Branch and Arctia Icebreaking Ltd signed a framework agreement on March 31, 2017 on rendering services for icebreaker support for vessels in Russian territorial waters in the Baltic Sea and outside them with the use of icebreakers sailing under the Finnish flag.

This agreement was signed as part of  the implementation of the Russian-Finnish interstate treaty of cooperation and interaction in rendering services for icebreaker support for vessels in the Baltic Sea which had been signed in St. Petersburg on September 15, 2014.

Under the terms of the framework agreement, if the necessity arises, icebreakers under the Finnish flag will be able to take part in icebreaker support for vessels in Russian territorial waters in the Baltic Sea and outside them at Russia's request.

Services on provision of icebreaker support by Finnish icebreakers are rendered by Finland based on the terms of the separate agreements concluded by FSUE “Rosmorport” and the Finnish transport agency or the company which renders icebreaker services.

In compliance with the terms of the framework agreement eight icebreakers of Arctia Icebreaking Ltd with the capacity of 10-19 MW and with the tow force of 113-234 tons will be involved in icebreaker support.

The framework agreement was signed by Sergei Pylin on the part of North-Western Basin Branch, and Tom Ekegren on the part of Arctia Icebreaking Ltd.

It is necessary to note that this is the second framework agreement signed in the course of implementation of the Russian-Finnish interstate treaty of cooperation and interaction in rendering services for icebreaker support for vessels in the Baltic Sea. In January 2017 the North-Western Basin Branch and the Finnish Transport Agency signed the framework agreement to involve the enterprise's icebreakers to rendering services for icebreaker support to vessels heading for Finnish ports in the territorial sea and internal waters of Finland.