Chairman of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Arctic Council Nikolai Korchunov on NATO's intervention in the Arctic regionNATO has recently announced its intention to increase its presence in the Arctic region.
Nikolay Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Chairman of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Arctic Council, spoke in an interview with TASS about the alliance's activity in the Arctic, the security of the Northern Sea Route and preparations for the international Arctic Forum in St. Petersburg.
— In December, St. Petersburg is expected to host an international forum on the Arctic, which was originally scheduled for April. Is there a chance that the forum will be postponed again against the backdrop of a difficult international situation? Which foreign guests have we already invited to participate in the forum?— In December 2022, the next international forum "The Arctic: Present and Future" is planned to be held in St. Petersburg, organized by the public organization "Association of Polar Explorers" under the leadership of the Special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic Artur Chilingarov.
We consider this forum as an important international platform that makes a constructive contribution to the discussion of topical issues of the development of cooperation in the Arctic, including international cooperation. I would like to note that this forum is organized by a non-governmental organization and traditionally has a depoliticized agenda focused on solving urgent problems of the Arctic region.
Traditionally, the international community, scientific and expert circles are widely represented at this forum. We hope that this year this event will be attended by a wide range of participants.
— Taking into account Russia's disagreements with the countries of the Arctic Council, with which states is Moscow ready to develop joint projects in the Arctic? Did any of the foreign partners show interest in this cooperation?— Russia pursues a multi-vector policy of cooperation in the Arctic region and is ready for dialogue with all countries that share a constructive approach to cooperation in the interests of sustainable development of the Arctic region.
We see that even at the present stage, the interest of foreign partners in the development of cooperation in this region does not weaken.
— Earlier you spoke about your interest in deepening cooperation with Eastern partners on infrastructure projects in the field of energy in the Arctic region. Have any agreements been reached in this direction, with which countries?— Infrastructure projects in the field of energy in the Arctic region are long-term and primarily commercial, the composition of which is formed during the relevant contacts and negotiations, the course and results of which I would not like to anticipate.
— In your opinion, does the lack of interaction with other countries in the Arctic Council pose any challenges and threats to the Northern Sea Route (NSR)? Or is it not interconnected in any way?— The Russian Federation, as in fact the only operator of the NSR, takes all necessary measures to ensure the safety of navigation along this highway in accordance with the norms of international law and the provisions of Russian legislation.
Accordingly, the lack of interaction with other Arctic countries cannot have a critical impact on the implementation of measures for the development of the NSR. By the way, on August 1, 2022, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin approved a plan for the development of the Northern Sea Route for the period up to 2035.
— Earlier you spoke about the increased activity of NATO in the Arctic. What measures are being taken to stop threats to the stable operation of the Northern Sea Route?— I can assure you that all the necessary measures are being taken along the military line, which take into account the increased activity of NATO in the Arctic in recent years and make it possible to prevent threats to civilian shipping in the waters of the Northern Sea Route.
— Do you think a military clash between Russia and NATO is possible in the Arctic region?— First of all, I would like to note that Russia cannot but be concerned about the significant increase in NATO activity in the Arctic, including non-regional member countries of the alliance, for example, Great Britain.
Moreover, as a recent statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg showed, even Russia's economic cooperation with non-Arctic countries in the region (the People's Republic of China), which is positioned by Westerners as a security threat to this bloc, is used as a pretext for increasing the Alliance's presence in high latitudes.
Such a trend, in the absence of a dialogue with the participation of all Arctic states, naturally increases the degree of conflict and can provoke military incidents in the region. At the same time, Russia, as the largest Arctic country implementing a large-scale agenda in the interests of the development of this region, is doing and will do everything possible to prevent such incidents.
Alexander Burmistrov talked
