MINSK, April 11. /TASS/. Belarus is interested in transporting potash fertilizers and other types of products along the Northern Sea Route, Analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies Olga Lazorkina told TASS.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the International Arctic Forum about the interest some countries, including Belarus, had in developing the Arctic's transport infrastructures.
"The Republic of Belarus is very interested in the Northern Sea Route as a new logistics route, which is important in terms of supplying products, primarily the resource base, potash fertilizers and other [types of products]," the expert said.
According to her, all countries have interest in the Arctic, and in the coming years the region may become a zone of confrontation. "Therefore, it is important to have all countries, involved in the Arctic issue, not just from the point of view of developing and obtaining any resource base, since this is a very difficult task, but in order to balance confrontation in that part of the world. Nowadays, the role of medium and small countries is very important here," she continued.
Belarus' interest in the Arctic has developed for quite a long time, and the republic adopted special governmental programs in 2011 and 2015. Belarusian specialists have been engaged in monitoring the Earth's polar regions, ensured activities of Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, the country's scientists and geologists have participated actively with Russia in joint exploration expeditions. "Further on, after 2015, we have focused more on the Antarctica, and the Arctic has remained a little aside. Since 2019, we have become more active within the Union State - we have new programs that address new, more specific goals and focus on Belarus' interests in the Arctic," she said.
Belarus has been developing Arctic medicine and tourism. "Arctic medicine is interesting from the point of new approaches to working in those extreme conditions," she said. "The Arctic is a territory of young, brave, ambitious people and projects," and Belarusian businesses, in particular those that supply dump trucks, are ready to participate in the Arctic's development, she added.