NEW DELHI: An Indian-Russian working group focused on cooperation in the Northern Sea Route convened for its inaugural meeting in New Delhi on October 10. The agenda included discussions on polar navigation and joint initiatives in Arctic shipbuilding.
Leading the working group are Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Deputy Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways from India, and Vladimir Panov, Rosatom’s Special Representative for Arctic Development and Deputy Chairman of the State Commission for Arctic Development from Russia.
The meeting addressed goals for Indian-Russian cargo transit along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), potential joint projects in Arctic shipbuilding, and the training of Indian sailors in polar navigation. The group also drafted a memorandum of understanding aimed at enhancing cooperation in cargo shipping within the NSR.
The NSR is recognized as the shortest shipping route linking the western part of Eurasia with the Asia-Pacific region. In 2018, the Russian government designated Rosatom as the infrastructure operator of the NSR, which oversees the federal project for its development and participates in the Northern Sea Route development plan extending to 2035, as well as the initiative for the socio-economic development of Russia through the Year-Round Northern Sea Route by 2030.
