Reference News, October 3 report - According to the Russia Today website on October 2, the New Delhi Television reported on October 1 that Russia is committed to expanding India's participation in the Northern Sea Route and has proactively proposed to this South Asian country the possibility of gaining observer status in the Arctic Council.
Vladimir Panov, special representative of Rosatom for Arctic development, told the media that cooperation with India, which is interested in the Arctic Partnership, could be crucial for the future development of the Northern Sea Route.
Russia has been developing the Northern Sea Route. It is a transportation corridor that runs through its Arctic and Far East regions, and it is the shortest transportation route between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Compared to traditional routes through the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal, this route is expected to become a major cargo trade route between continents and could significantly reduce transportation time.
India is an official observer of the Arctic Council. The Council was established in 1996 and is an intergovernmental cooperation forum composed of Arctic states and indigenous peoples.
Panov pointed out that Russia has deployed eight nuclear-powered icebreakers, four of which are the latest generation, to ensure year-round navigation on this route. These icebreakers have opened up paths through the Arctic ice, allowing non-ice-class ships to safely traverse the route. He gave an example: a Chinese cargo ship completed the journey along the Northern Sea Route in just 18 days, which is more than three weeks shorter than the traditional route. (Translated by Hu Jing)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7556992503270949412/
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