MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The project for a tunnel between Chukotka and Alaska beneath the Bering Strait is important as a symbol of the restoration of relations between Russia and the United States, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Alexander Shokhin said, adding though that its economic justification is not yet apparent.

"The tunnel is likely more of a symbol than an economically justified project. After all, for a tunnel to be economically and financially viable, even in the long run, there has to be something to transport back and forth. Yet, in my view, there is no sign of a traffic volume that could recoup the investment over a 20-year period," he said in a commentary on Vesti.

It will be necessary to build railways and roads and develop infrastructure, Shokhin noted. "And overall, there needs to be a reciprocal flow of goods from Russia to Alaska and Canada, and perhaps back, that would justify this project," he added.

Earlier, Kirill Dmitriev, Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries and Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), noted that Moscow hoped to complete the tunnel’s design by the end of 2026 and believed that even China could join the project.