At the Vladivostok (Vladivostok) Eastern Economic Forum, the Indian government said that India and Russia will work together to explore the use of the emerging Northern Sea Route (Northern Sea Route,NSR) and other maritime corridors in the Russian Far East to expand cooperation.
According to foreign media reports, on September 13, India's port and shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Vladivostok met with Russia is responsible for the development of the Russian Arctic and Far East minister Aleksey Chekunkov, and reached a series of agreements.
the two leaders discussed the possibility of using emerging shipping corridors such as the Northern Sea Route and the Chennai-Vladivostok Sea Route (EMC) to transport oil, coal and liquefied natural gas. The two countries also agreed to train seafarers in polar and Arctic waters at the Russian Maritime Training Institute in Vladivostok.
global warming has turned the NSR into a strategic opportunity for Russia. In August 2022, Russia approved the development plan of the Northern Sea Route to 2035. The development of the Northern Sea Route is one of the largest modern projects in Russia. It opens up new opportunities for the transportation of oil, gas and other minerals, as well as for the development of the Arctic region. Russia plans to increase energy shipments eastward by more than 250 percent by 2035 to 0.13 billion tons.
New Delhi and Moscow have enjoyed close relations for decades. With the European Union banning the import of its oil and Russia looking to Asia, Russia-India trade has reached a record high, mainly due to India's significant increase in imports of Russian oil and seeing the NSR as a shorter voyage time opportunity.
Singapore's Nanyang Technological University defense and security analyst Sinderpal Singh wrote in a commentary last month that the voyage from Chennai to Vladivostok takes only 12 days, while the voyage from Mumbai to St. Petersburg via the Suez Canal takes 32 days.
Sarbananda Sonowal in a statement said: "Chennai-Vladivostok sea route between the operation will open India and Russia trade relations between the new era."
He added: "India is keen on the NSR development partnership, recognizing the route in enhancing connectivity and trade potential."
"NSR is a global transport project. Its development can bring economic benefits to Russia and relevant regional countries."
analysts said India would benefit from the agreement and improve relations with Russia. India also sees new shipping corridors as part of its port modernization strategy.
the Aleksey Chekunkov pointed out: russia aims to "develop relations with its indian partners in the far east in all mutually beneficial areas".
The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is also known as the "Arctic Route and Northeast Route". The world's northernmost ocean route, a sea shortcut connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. From Murmansk or Arkhangelsk in the west, through the Barents Sea, the White Sea, the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea, and the Chukchi Sea in the southern Arctic Ocean to the northwest coast of the Bering Sea in the Pacific Ocean. It is about 6000 kilometers long. Because most ships call Vladivostok, it is usually used as the end of this route, with a total length of 10400 kilometers.
Source: Shipping Industry