VLADIVOSTOK, September 12. /TASS/. The program of building the icebreaker fleet develops intensively, in compliance with the plans to develop the Northern Sea Route (NSR), Minister for Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunov told TASS.

Earlier, the minister said, a solution to build up the ice-class fleet for the year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route may be in cooperation with India and China.

"The icebreaker fleet program continues intensively, in compliance with the NSR development plan, adopted by the Russian government, but the icebreakers are not carrying cargo, they lead caravans with oil, LNG, ore, containers, fish, Northern supplies and so on. Those cargo vessels, in order to be fit for sailing along NSR, need to be adjusted to sailing through ice, to be of the ice class. The building of such vessels requires special technologies, special industrial facilities," he said.

According to the plan to 2035, Russia needs to build 151 ice-class vessels - ten icebreakers, 74 cargo vessels, 46 rescue, supply, service and hydrography vessels. Of 151 vessels, 43 are being built and another 108 are yet to be laid. "International cooperation in building those vessels could feature, among others, India and China. The most involved parties are the companies that have invested in production, and that need to use the NSR shipment route, and their navigation partners. Negotiations continue, and we, on our side, offer support in searching for promising partners," the minister added.

The 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is running in Vladivostok on September 10-13, 2023. The slogan for this year’s forum is: On the Path to Partnership, Peace and Prosperity. The Roscongress Foundation is the event organizer. TASS is the forum's general information partner.