- India and Russia recently held their first meeting of the working group on cooperation in the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
- The discussions centred on cargo transit targets, training Indian sailors for polar navigation, and developing joint Arctic shipbuilding projects.
- The working group drafted an MoU between India and Russia for developing cooperation in cargo shipping in the NSR waters.
- Rosatom’s Role: In 2018, Russia appointed Rosatom (Russian state nuclear energy corporation) as the NSR’s infrastructure operator, with a strategic goal of turning the NSR into a key shipping route connecting Europe, Russia, and the Asia-Pacific region.
- The Great Northern Sea Route is from St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad to Vladivostok.
- As India increased investments in Russia’s Far East, cooperation on the NSR Is critical.
- Both nations emphasized building efficient transport corridors and expanding logistics links to support a Greater Eurasian space.
Dig Deeper: Compare the Northern Sea Route with China’s Polar Silk Route.
