VLADIVOSTOK, September 3. /TASS/. A national permafrost monitoring system should be launched by the end of 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on Friday.
"The Arctic has an enormous impact on the global climate. It is important for us to understand and forecast the processes underway there. And in order to do so, a reliable foundation is needed, precise scientific data and forecasts. This is why I am asking to speed up the creation of a national monitoring system of the state of permafrost, to finish the preparation of a regulatory framework for its launch before the end of this year," Putin said.
The head of state reiterated that Russia is currently chairing the Arctic Council. "As an important initiative within the framework of our chairmanship, I am proposing to organize an international expedition to high Arctic latitudes. The North Pole drifting research station outfitted with all the necessary equipment will become the expedition’s base. The station itself will be located on a unique ice-resistant platform. It is now being built in St. Petersburg and will be put into operation in the coming months," the president added.