SABETTA /Yamal/, March 30, /TASS/. Russia’s Ministry of Transport hoped the Sabetta port in the Arctic within the coming decade will become a biggest cargo hub for supplies in all directions - both to the east and to the west, Minister Maxim Sokolov told a news conference on Thursday.

"I would like to stress that using the port’s infrastructures is a major part of transportation along the Northern Sea Route," the minister said. "The port is working, and today’s arrival of the tanker is the best demonstration of it. The plant could not be made here without the port, and we can see also good future for development of the Sabetta port."

An ice class tanker has called on the port recently. It carries the name of Total’s CEO Christophe de Margerie, who died in 2014. The minister said, further development of the port is also connected with development of the railway station from the Bovanenkovskoye field to the port.

The project is implemented on the public-private partnership basis, the minister said, adding 20% of the investments would be come from sources other than the budget. The other project, which will favor the port’s development, is construction of the Northern Latitudinal Route, the transport minister said.

"With these two projects, the port’s turnover may grow by another 25 million tones, thus it would be the biggest cargo hub in the Arctic within the coming decade," he said. "We may say Sabetta would be a port hub for all directions - both to the east and to the west."

Novatek’s CEO Leonid Mikhelson added - in turnover the port may take 15% of the global market.