NEW DELHI: An Indian-Russian working group on cooperation in the Northern Sea Route held its first meeting in New Delhi on Oct 10, where it discussed polar navigation and joint projects in Arctic shipbuilding.
The heads of the working group are Rajesh Kumar Sinha, deputy minister of ports, shipping and waterways, from the Indian side, and Vladimir Panov, Rosatom Special Representative for the Arctic Development, deputy chairman of the State Commission for the Arctic Development, from the Russian side.
The meeting discussed the targets of Indian-Russian cargo transit along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), joint projects in Arctic shipbuilding, and possible training of Indian sailors for polar navigation. The working group also drafted a memorandum of understanding between the Indian and Russian govts for the development of cooperation in cargo shipping in the waters of the NSR.
The NSR is the shortest shipping route connecting the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2018, the Russian govt appointed Rosatom the infrastructure operator of the NSR. Rosatom oversees the federal project Development of the Northern Sea Route and participates in the implementation of the Northern Sea Route development plan until 2035 and the initiative for the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation until 2030 Year-Round Northern Sea Route.