GORKI, January 28. /TASS/. It is important for Russia to prevent attempts by other countries to limit its activities in the Arctic, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian media, including TASS.
"We do have special rights over the Arctic because of its geographical location, but this must be done collaboratively. What we must not accept are attempts to constrain us in this area," he stressed.
Medvedev noted that Russia's activities in the northern territories are tested with various requirements, for example, on the use of fuel or some other issues. "But very often it is simply restrictive in order to prevent our presence in the Arctic or limit us in some way," he explained, adding "And we actually have our own set of interests in the Arctic."
He recalled that, in addition to the eight member-countries, the Arctic Council has observers, including international organizations. As a result, while some goals in this territory are shared, they cannot be achieved only by Russia, according to Medvedev.
"However, we must recognize that the Arctic region is inextricably linked to our borders and territory. Not because we have expansionist ambitions and ideas, but because geography works this way. Therefore, we have a special mission - the development of the Northern Sea Route, and a number of economic projects are extremely important," he said.
Furthermore, the Northern Sea Route and other energy projects, especially those involving LNG, are highly profitable, and Russia can benefit from them, according to Medvedev.
In response to the question of whether Moscow will develop the Northern Sea Route alone or with foreign partners, Medvedev emphasized that the route runs through Russian waters. However, this does not preclude other countries from participating in its development as Russia's partners.
Medvedev continued by stating that it is also critical to build an environmental and climate monitoring system.