MOSCOW, August 1. /TASS/. Freight traffic along the Northern Sea Route increased by 5% as of July, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
"In 2021, the cargo traffic amounted to 35 mln tonnes, which is 2 mln tonnes higher than the plan. This year, as of July, we still have 5% growth. As for the transportation of transit cargo, here the growth has tripled over the past two years. We also see that the number of trips along the Northern Sea Route also doubled to 1,627, indicating that the route is in high demand," Novak said.
He also recalled that the expected cargo traffic along the route will reach 80 mln tonnes by 2024, and 200 mln tonnes by 2030.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said earlier on Monday that Russia is establishing the Chief Directorate of the Northern Sea Route to organize traffic along the route.
Mishustin stressed that the government continues to develop the Northern Sea Route as an important global transport corridor. "The route transports the majority of northern deliveries, metals, energy carriers are delivered to the global market, and freight is transited between Asia and Europe. At the same time, it is located entirely within Russia's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, which is especially crucial in the face of foreign sanctions pressure, when product logistical supply lines are disrupted," he noted.