The VIII international forum “The Arctic: the Present and the Future” has started in Saint Petersburg on December 5, 2018. During the three-day forum, their participants summed up the results of the development of Russia’s Arctic zone and formed up the major directions of cooperation between the authorities and the society for the exploration of the polar region.

The forum involved heads of Russian regions, federal and regional authorities, systemic companies, academic and public organizations.

Addressing the audience, Arthur Chilingarov, the president of the Association of Polar Explorers and Russian presidential special envoy for international cooperation in the Arctic and the Antarctic, said the forum would focus on a wide range of issues, i.e. environmental security, personnel training, the preservation of cultural heritage, the development of technologies and digital economy, and international non-governmental cooperation.

The FSUE “Rosmorport” management takes part in business discussions of the forum. During a panel session “The Development of Cargo Transportation on the Northern Sea Route” FSUE “Rosmorport” Deputy General Director for Economics and Finances Yakov Bykov spoke about the role of the enterprise in developing the port infrastructure in the Arctic zone and increasing effective use of other means of transportation.

As of today seventeen seaports are located in Russia’s Artic zone. In 2017 their cargo turnover amounted to 73.2 million tons that was equal to about 10 % of the total cargo transportation of Russian seaports. Cargo turnover in Arctic seaports increased by about 50 % as compared with the year 2016 (in 2016 cargo turnover amounted to 49.8 million tons). This figure considerably exceeds the average growth of cargo transshipment in Russian seaports.

Over the 10 months of the year 2018 the volume of transshipment in Arctic seaports amounted to 71.2 million tons that was more by 17.2 % as compared with the same period of the year 2017.

The Northern Sea Route is the main arteria of cargo traffic in the Arctic zone. Last year the volume of transshipment amounted to 9.9 million tons. Over the last three years it has increased by 2.5 times.

In his speech Bykov stressed that the comprehensive development of Russia’s Arctic zone should be carried out in all spheres of the transport logistic system, including maritime and river transport, railways and air service.

Deputy General Director for Fleet Vasily Strugov took part in the discussions as part of a panel session “The Management System of the Northern Sea Route and Navigation Safety in Arctic Conditions”.

One of the priorities of the FSUE “Rosmorport” activities in water areas of Artic seaports is to render services for ensuring navigation safety. These are pilotage services, icebreaker support, the operation of vessel tracking management systems and survey support of navigation.

The enterprise has all necessary equipment, technique and vessels to ensure navigation safety in the Arctic region, including in the water area of the Northern Sea Route and the areas adjacent to it.

Consolidated proposals and initiatives adopted by the participants in the forum mirror in a final resolution, which will be submitted to the Russian ministries and committees to enhance governance, regulatory activities and administration in the relevant sphere.