ISTANBUL, October 30. /TASS/. Novatek CEO Leonid Mikhelson called for international cooperation to develop Russia's Arctic gas reserves and produce liquefied natural gas (LNG), adding that without it, this task is virtually impossible to accomplish.

"Same as American LNG projects in Alaska cannot be realized without a large number of foreign partners, meeting global demand today requires cooperation in the Russian Arctic. I urge you all to do this," he said at the Verona Eurasian Economic Forum.

"Without international cooperation, the development of the Arctic zone is practically impossible," Mikhelson added.

Russia currently has two large-scale LNG projects in operation: Yamal LNG and Sakhalin-2. Another project, Arctic LNG-2 (train one), has not yet been officially launched, but it has been reported to begin operations in 2024 during the summer navigation period along the Northern Sea Route when LNG can be transported by ice-resistant vessels.