MOSCOW, March 5. /TASS/. Projects in the Arctic may become a bridge for rapprochement between Moscow and Washington, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Committee, Chairman of the All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation Vyacheslav Fetisov told TASS.

When answering the question whether Moscow and Washington are discussing environmental issues, he noted that in the framework of all international conventions, the parties had not been particularly supportive of dialogue in this area.

"My recent participation was in COP28 (the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - TASS) in the United Arab Emirates," he continued. "There was an opportunity to discuss all this with [the US Special Envoy for Climate] John Kerry, who addressed this topic on the American side. It did not happen there. I am confident that this is what should bring us closer. First of all, in the Arctic. Everything related to understanding this is the main resource. America has got something. Most of everything that is necessary for life support is located in this country. I think this is another bridge that could help us get closer and join efforts."

Contacts between Moscow and Washington intensified after a telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, on February 12. The first high-level talks were held in Riyadh on February 18. Russia and the US focused primarily on bringing to normal diplomatic contacts and work of embassies.