ST PETERSBURG, May 21. /ITAR-TASS/. A convoy of vessels will sail to Russia-controlled islands in the Arctic Ocean to continue the efforts towards securing Russian economic interests in the Arctic, a military official said.

"The task force will visit Frantz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island," representative of the command of Russia's Northern Fleet Capitan Andrei Korablyov told a news conference at ITAR-TASS on the occasion of Day of the Polar Worker marked in Russia on Wednesday.

The year 2013 became pivotal in the operation of Russia’s armed forces in the Arctic thanks to the cruise of Northern Fleet's warships to the New Siberian Islands, the renovation of the Temp airfield and establishment of aviation commandant's offices," Korablyov said. "This work will continue, but it's not just about the building of military infrastructure; there are plans for research, hydrography and detailing of navigation conditions."

"All these efforts are aimed at preserving the Northern Sea Route as Russia's national transport system," the naval official said.

"Russia is returning to the Arctic, but in entirely different conditions," deputy dean of the department for international relations of St Petersburg State University Dmitry Baryshnikov said. "Instead of the uninhabited territory which seafarers saw in the 18th and 19 centuries, it became a centre of geopolitical interests. We haven’t' been alone there for a long time."

His colleague Natalya Markushina added that "not only Russia, but also the USA has an Arctic development doctrine" but that their doctrine "does not account for Russian interests in the region."

A two-volume book titled "Securing Russian National Interests in the Arctic" was shown to journalists. It packs scientific approaches to developing the region in modern conditions with an emphasis on human personality, comfortable living conditions and preservation of the cultures of 42 peoples inhabiting the region.