MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. The Russian Federation Council on Wednesday backed a bill that would require foreign warships to give a 90-day notice before they enter the Northern Sea Route with purposes that are unrelated to commerce.
"It’s considered appropriate to establish <…> that the flag state of a foreign warship or vessel shall be required to submit a request for permission via diplomatic channels to pass through the internal marine waters of the NSR zone no later than 90 days before the anticipated date of the passage," according to a memo for the bill.
According to the draft legislation, there may be no more than one foreign warship or other state-owned vessel at a time that will be within internal marine waters of the Northern Sea Route area, if it doesn’t plan to call at a sea port or a naval base. Foreign submarines, if they enter internal marine waters in the Northern Sea Route area and don’t plan to call at a sea port or a naval base, should proceed on the surface and fly their flag.
The bill also makes it possible to order foreign warships and other state-owned vessels to suspend their passage in the territorial sea and internal waters by making use of navigational warnings.
"As a result, a permission-based procedure will be established for foreign warships and other state-owned vessels to sail across the NSR waterways, which will help to ensure the national interests of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region and the safety of maritime navigation along the NSR," according to the memo to the bill.