MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. The Northern Sea Route is becoming more efficient for cargo transportation than the Suez Canal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"The Northern Sea Route is becoming more efficient than the Suez Canal. The economics of cargo movement increases by times there," the head of state said.

The Northern Sea Route is becoming more and more opened for ships in different seasons of the year but the icebreaker fleet will still be needed for a long time, Putin noted. "The nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet will definitely be required for more than one decade and this is a great competitive advantage for our country," he added.