Putin says Arctic exploration a priority for Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he regards Arctic exploration a priority for Russia, but added it should also respect nature.

Speaking at his annual year-end conference, Putin stressed the importance of the Arctic for Russia and called it a main source for the country's mineral riches.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) shakes hands with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) as he visits Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic, Russia, March 29, 2017./AP Photo

"The industrial exploration of the Arctic, including the extraction of diverse raw materials is extremely important," Putin said.

Russia has opened a string of military and scientific bases in the Arctic in recent years, with interest in the region growing as rising temperatures open up shipping routes and make hitherto inaccessible mineral resources easier to exploit.

Moscow is betting on increased shipping through its Arctic waters linking Asia to Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) visited Franz Josef Land in 2011. /Photo via Kremlin website

Exploration should take place with "care for (local) nature," he said.

Putin said he considered the Arctic an inseparable part of Russian territory.

Canada, Russia, Norway, the United States and Denmark – five nations with Arctic coastlines – have been involved in territorial disputes over oil, gas and mineral reserves in the Arctic.

In 2015 Russia filed a claim in the United Nations over a vast swathe of the Arctic, including the North Pole.

In November, the Russian defense ministry said it had discovered 11 islands in the Arctic in the last five years, reinforcing its 2015 claim in the disputed region.

Source(s): AFP