International attention on the future developments of the Northern Sea Route is rapidly increasing. It was only June 2015, when "the Russian government released the Russia’s Integrated Development Plan for the Northern Sea Route 2015-2030.
The plan stressed the importance of providing safer and more reliable navigation on Northern Sear Route (NSR) for maritime export of Russian natural resource materials but also the strategic importance of NSR for Russian national security. The plan was also to increase international transit cargo transportation on NSR in partnership with Asian countries and in particular with China" (The Maritime-Executive). Since than, Russia has been working constantly to make this happen. Just few days ago the Russian reported that "Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has instructed the Transport Ministry to estimate traffic and improve the operation of Northern Sea Route administration."I've instructed the Transport Ministry to estimate freight volumes and improve Northern Sea Route Administration," he was quoted by TASS as saying at a meeting of the State Commission on Arctic Development. Rogozin recalled that he had previously issued instructions to consider ways of improving the administration's work, in particular, by more closely involving it in the development the route's economic potential"(www.arctic.ru). In December 2015, Russian authorities proposed China to participate in constructing railways to transport cargo to ports on the Arctic or Northern Sea Route" (Arctic Portal).
Yesterday it was the turn of the Japanese delegation, as reported by the Northern Sea Route Authority Office:
Northern Sea Route Information Office, 09.03.2016- On 9th of March NSR IO in Murmansk had a meeting with Dr. Natsuhiko Otsuka, Manager, R&D, Management Planning Department in North Japan Port Consultant, Dr. Shinichi Ishii, Senior consultant of Nomura Research Institute and representatives of Nomura Research Institute in Moscow branch – Andrei Rodionov, Director of Consulting Division, and Igor Nemtsov, Associate Consultant.
Under the discussion were future development and competitiveness of the NSR. The main topics concerned cargo base, NSR search and rescue system and necessary preconditions for building of ice class carriers to be used in transit traffic between Europe and Asia.
The parties agreed about further cooperation in joint research work in the future. After this visit, the delegation made way to Murmansk Fishery Port and then to Administration of Murmansk region.