Ministry of Economic Development: Northern Sea Route development structure should focus on revenue

The structure that is expected to be created to develop the Northern Sea Route should focus on profitability and include assets that serve this logistical route, according to Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Alexander Tsybulsky, who noted that this structure would not likely be a state corporation, TASS news agency reports.

“Everything will depend on which assets it unites. I think it should be some sort of financial organization”, he said.

The organization could include an icebreaker fleet, which would enable it to take a commercial approach and become profitable from the very start, Tsybulsky said, adding that it could include the Northern Sea Route administration. “The Northern Sea Route should have some sort of single operator that should include both hydrometeorological institutions and research organizations”, Tsybulsky said.

It is unclear for now who will be in charge of studying this issue and what form and legal status this organization would be given, he said. Tsybulsky suggested that the Ministry of Economic Development could become one of the active participants in the process of determining these parameters.