The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is open to all countries, including Western ones, but sovereignty over the route remains with the Russian Federation, stated Alexey Chekunkov, head of the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic.
"The Northern Sea Route is ready for any country. It's important that whoever decides to navigate it will have unconditional access to Russian ice cover, the coverage of our emergency response centers, and information from our satellites. And in this sense, Russia is undoubtedly sovereign over the Northern Sea Route," the minister said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper.
The minister added that European goods, including German ones, are already being transported along the NSR on Chinese vessels.
According to Chekunkov, interest in the route is growing amid difficulties in shipping through traditional transport corridors in the Middle East.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
