President Putin said that communications in the north were very important for Russia

Saturday, January 23, 2021

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During a meeting with the leaders and members of the team of the Northern Pole-32 drift station, as well as those involved in the expedition to evacuate it, President Putin said that communications in the north were very important for Russia. According to Mr. Putin, Russia had once again started systematic work in the Arctic after a twelve-year hiatus. "I do not have to tell you how important this work is not only from the scientific, but also the applied and geopolitical viewpoint," the Russian leader said. "From the standpoint of Russia's interests in this region of the world, you know better than anyone the natural resources that are concentrated there." The president said that these included a whole range of the most complicated problems on which the country's economic and political prestige depended. Mr. Putin said that he was counting on all the human and material resources that Russia had invested in the region, as well as those that had been invested prior to and during the Soviet era, would become an excellent basis for Russia's work in the Arctic. The Russia leader also pointed to serious competition that was developing the Arctic and in Antarctica. The president made this statement after Artur Chilingarov, a famous polar explorer and current State Duma deputy, said, "Only Russians can live for 11 months on ice - there are no such others." "We know that the Arctic region and the Antarctic region are the places where many countries' interests clash. If we continue resting on the laurels, work will not be done effectively," said the president. "We have to understand that they are the venue of strong competition, and it is becoming increasingly strong. We have good achievements, and we should use them and move on," said Mr Putin. "There are disputable territories there as well, which are rich in natural resources at that," the president responded to Mr Chilingarov who had said the Arctic region was Russia's entirely territory. The North Pole-32 drifting research station began working on April 25, 2003 200 km off the North Pole. This is the project initiated by the Russian Hydrometeorological Committee and the Polyus Expedition Centre headed by Artur Chilingarov. North Pole-32 is Russia's first polar station over the part 12 years. Its predecessor, SP-31, was closed down in 1991. The station is designed to conduct research in the hydrometeorological sphere catering the needs of the country's economy and defence in the Arctic region, take a comprehensive study of the environment and regional and global climate changes. Twelve persons worked at the station. North Pole-32 had worked successfully for almost 11 months when ice drifts destroyed the ice camp. An expedition led by Mr Chilingarov evacuated the researchers. A new drifting station, North Pole 33, that started working on September 9 is carrying on research.

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