The list of countries that consider using the Northern Sea Route (NSR) for cargo transportation is growing and, in addition to Chinese carriers, includes companies from India, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Southeast Asian countries.
"The list of these countries is growing. In addition to China, these are India, the countries of Southeast Asia, and South Korea, of course. This is even the United Arab Emirates, as the events in the Strait of Hormuz have become a very loud reminder of the fragility of global maritime logistics," RIA Novosti quotes Alexey Chekunkov, head of the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, as saying.
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has previously stated that the importance of the NSR as the safest and most reliable route is becoming more and more obvious against the background of disruptions in global logistics due to numerous conflicts, including in the Middle East.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
