NEW DELHI, March 4. /TASS/. International interest in the Arctic will grow, as it is rich in mineral resources that, when technology allows, will ensure economic development for a long time, Valery Konyshev, Professor at the St. Petersburg State University told TASS during his visit to New Delhi.

The Arctic's active economic development is underway. "Why has everyone rushed there? Arctic is a store of resources. Oil and gas, bio resources, ores, rare earth metals - lots of everything. In other regions, many resources are close to exhaustion, while in the Arctic they will remain sufficient for a long time. The main thing is to get to them," he explained.

"The interest in the Arctic is growing, all countries are trying to set foot, not to be late, when the pie is cut already," he added.

It will take decades to get to the Arctic resources. "But technology is developing very quickly," he said.

The professor pointed to the importance of the Northern Sea Route. "We can see outbursts of instability in the Red Sea, plus it is longer (there) than (by) the Northern Sea Route. This does not mean the Northern Sea Route will replace it, but the development of this route is promising. It could be used as an alternative to the southern route, not all year round, of course, but even here Russia is applying efforts to ensure the year-round navigation in the future," the scientist said in conclusion.