MOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the country's "colossal potential" in the field of scientific discoveries.

"As the largest and most multifaceted country in the world, Russia has a colossal potential for scientific discoveries," the head of state said on Tuesday in a video address to the participants to the ceremony and laureates of the Russian Geographical Society Prize.

The President named the World Ocean as one of the examples.

"Scientists say that it [the World Ocean] has been explored by no more than 7%, and Russia is washed by 13 seas, including the so-called cold ones, and their depths, flora and fauna have just begun to reveal their secrets," he said.

"Or [let’s take] caves: today our speleologists have identified almost 5,000 such objects, but, according to experts, this is only a tenth of the natural caves on the territory of our country."

Putin called the preservation of populations of wildlife a task of particular importance.

"I hope that thanks to the support of the Russian Geographical Society and with the participation of different countries the projects to preserve polar bears and leopards, beluga whales and snow leopards, and other species will only gain momentum," the head of state said.

According to him, these issues will be discussed in more detail in Vladivostok, where the International Forum on the Conservation of the Amur Tiger is to be held in 2022.

"I am sure that Russia will always be rich in people who can boldly push the boundaries of scientific knowledge, stubbornly follow their dreams and make outstanding discoveries," the President concluded.