NEW DELHI, May 29. /TASS/. Russian and Indian researchers plan to cooperate in the Arctic, Director of Russia’s Zubov State Oceanographic Institute Yuri Sychev told TASS on Tuesday.

"We have already held the first meeting with our Indian colleagues," said Sychev, who came to India as part of a Russian delegation of researchers. "Russia and India never cooperated much in the Arctic, India has one polar station on the Spitsbergen island but it is not enough. We plan to build full-scale cooperation with India in the Arctic, which will involve India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences and Russia’s Academy of Sciences," he added.

"A draft memorandum of intent is currently under consideration. The project implies broad cooperation in Arctic research, expert exchanges and joint expeditions. Both parties plan to sign the document in the near future," Sychev pointed out.

The Russian researcher also said that India was concerned about climate changes, the melting of Himalayan glaciers, changing river flows, the capricious nature and timing of monsoons and other issues. The Arctic is rightfully considered to be a global weather kitchen, which is why Indian researchers are interested in the region, since without knowledge about processes going on there it is impossible to make medium-term weather forecasts. "India has been active in the Antarctic, there is an Indian research station there, while Russian and Indian polar explorers have been cooperating in the region for a long time. Now we are ready to expand cooperation to include the Arctic," Sychev said.