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Arkhangelsk governor names China as key partner in Arctic projects

Among the projects are construction of the Belkomur railway line and of the Arkhangelsk deep-water sea port, the governor said

ARKHANGELSK, December 19. /TASS/. China is a key partner of Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region in implementation of big projects in the Arctic, the region’s Governor Igor Orlov told TASS.

"The Chinese People’s Republic for us is a key partner in implementation of the Arctic projects, including the big ones, the most important. I mean first of all construction of the Belkomur railway line and of the Arkhangelsk deep-water sea port," the governor said. "Implementation of these projects will change greatly the transport infrastructure of the Russian Arctic zone."

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China ready to play major role in developing Arctic — vice PM

At the annual news conference on December 14, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said China had entered the biggest Russian projects, "including in the Arctic," and said the Chinese counterparts demonstrate interest to the Northern Sea Route project.

The governor continued by saying the region is in close contact with China’s Poly Group, which potentially is ready to invest in the Belkomur and Arkhangelsk port projects. The parties signed an agreement on that in late 2015. "Recently, our joint projects were presented to Chinese ministries, authorities and corporations," the governor said. "The presentation was organized in China’s capital Beijing."

A decision to present the projects followed a meeting of the Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission, chaired by Russia’s and China’s Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Rogozin and Wang Yang, which was in March in Arkhangelsk on sidelines of the Arctic - Territory of Dialogue international Arctic forum. After the presentation, the governor continues, a few more big banks and companies confirmed their interest in the projects.

Arkhangelsk Port and Belkomur

The project on construction of a deep-water port in Arkhangelsk is a part of Russia’s Transport Strategy to 2030. The new port will offer another route for export and import cargos to Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific Region’s countries (first of all, China), and will provide a new independent access for large-capacity vessels to the World Ocean.

The Belkomur project (White Sea - Komi - Urals) will cut delivery distances for cargo from the Urals and Siberia to Arkhangelsk’s sea ports to 850 kilometers. The project’s investor - China’s Poly International Holding Co., Ltd - will invest in the project about $5.5 billion.

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