MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. The Northern Sea Route's strategic importance grows amid the developing tension in the Middle East, Russia's Minister for Development of the Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunov told reporters.

"The growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, where runs the Suez Canal (today's most intensive transport route in Eurasia), the geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca, through which Asia receives food and exports its resources - all these factors increase unprecedentedly the geo-strategic importance of the Northern Sea Route," he said.

All countries "follow with great interest the Northern Sea Route's development, strive to participate in the navigation, in the creation of a new fleet, merchant fleet, and the container line," he continued, adding the interests of eight Arctic powers converge in the Arctic, and, he stressed, half of the world's Arctic is Russia.

"The main project in the Arctic is the Northern Sea Route, thus the option to deliver goods from East Asia to Western Europe by a route, which is 40% shorter, excites the minds of a huge number of people across the world. <...> We invite partners [to work] and we continue fruitful dialogues with China, India and even the Middle East so that to make this project international and useful on a mutually beneficial basis, where Russia retains the unconditional sovereignty in the Northern Sea Route," the minister concluded.

The Northern Sea Route is the shortest shipping link between the European part of Russia and the Far East. Its length from the Kara Strait to the Providence Bay is about 5,600 km. It is located entirely within Russia's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.

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