MURMANSK, August 19. /TASS/. Murmansk, Archangelsk, Dikson, Tiksi and Pevek are the Arctic ports to be developed in the first instance, aide to the Russian President Nikolay Patrushev said.

"For the Northern Sea Route to assume the role of one of main Russian transport thoroughfares, it is required to modernize the infrastructure and ensure development of Northern Sea Route ports, in the first instance the ones like Murmansk, Archangelsk, Dikson, Tiksi, and Pevek," Patrushev said.

"It is also needed to more actively use the potential of our inland waterways - our largest rivers like the Lena, the Ob, the Yenisei, and canals, particular, the White Sea - Baltic Sea one," he added.