Vladimir Putin: We need new logic, modern principles of work in the Arctic

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin conducted the conference on the issue of effective and safe development of the Arctic. Besides, issues of scientific support of the Arctic development and ecological security at fulfillment of shelf projects were discussed.

As the head of the state underlines, it is very symbolical that the conference is taking place on the World Environment Day. By his words, it is a good reason to discuss problems, for the sake of which the participants gathered to the sitting. In its time the World Environment Day was founded in order to attract attention of the public, of people from different countries to problems of ecology, to help to wide advancement of culture of careful attitude to nature. It is logical that the round table on issues of safe and effective development of the Arctic was gathered exactly on this day. State of this region in much defines ecological wellbeing of the whole planet, our home, as the President notes. By the words of the President, since the moment of its foundation in 1845 and till the present day the Russian Geographical Society studies the North and the Arctic, renders support to projects connected with protection of nature. So-called general cleaning of Russian arctic territories was started several years ago by the initiative and at active participation of the Russian Geographical Society. In other words, the talk is about liquidation of consequences of past non-careful consumer attitude to the Arctic. But it is important not only to compensate damage done to nature during the past tens of years but also not to allow repeating such mistakes in the future, as the President underlines. "We need new logic, modern principles of work in the Arctic", as Vladimir Putin notes. The President reminds that nature of the Arctic is very fragile and extremely sensitive to outer influence, that responsibility of each person working there is high. It is understood especially with consideration of scale and diversity of the set tasks. By the words of Vladimir Putin, plans of development of the Russian Arctic zone for the coming tens of years contain the whole row of large investment projects connected with development of hydrocarbon resources on the coast and on the shelf of arctic seas and also with creation of new industrial objects and transport corridors, first of all, of course, he speaks about the Northern Sea Route. Therefore, now, when the Russian Arctic zone is passing through the new stage of industrial, socioeconomic, infrastructural revival, it is especially important to focus attention on the theme of nature protection, as he notes. In the opinion of Vladimir Putin, involving the arctic region to economic turnover, it needs to follow the thoroughly balanced approach. First, it should be based on precise knowledge of resource, natural potential of the Arctic and objective assessment of expediency of these of those actions, development of own scientific and technological potential on exploration of the North; second, precise, obligatory following the strictest ecological standards, unconditioned priority of nature-protection activities; third, ultimate transparency of economic activity in the Arctic, including, permanent dialogue with institutions of the civil society, with nature-protecting and ecological organizations – of course, first of all, with those, who have sincerely good purposes and do not speculate on ecological problems, do not turn them into the item of bargaining, own PR or business. "At that, we also stand for development of international partnership in the Arctic zone – including ecological themes", as the President notes. Vladimir Putin underlines that Russia, almost one third part of territories of which consists of districts of the Far North, has special responsibility for the Arctic, for preservation of ecological stability here. Therefore, before the start of elaboration of the State program on socioeconomic development of the Russian Arctic till 2020, it needs to take one more strategy, to be more exact, the Strategic program of activities on environmental protection. The talk about significance of an ecological aspect was also in the course of the recent sitting of the Security Council, which was dedicated to issues of development of the Russian Arctic. The President would like to underline once more that all kinds of work, all projects and programs, everything that is being planned here for fulfillment, should, first of all, provide balance between economic activity and environmental protection, should consider many-century culture and needs of indigenous ethnic minorities of the North residing here, as the President notes. By the words of Vladimir Putin in the end of his speech, it is possible to solve tasks of the Arctic only in close interaction with scientists, ecologists, having competent scientific support. Dialogue between the state, business and expert society on these issues should be permanent, constructive and effective. There are good examples of effective interaction between business and nature-protecting organizations. However, such activities should be systemic and widespread, as he underlines. In his turn, the first vice-president of the Russian Geographical Society, academician Nikolay Kasimov told about basic priority directions of scientific researches in the Arctic. In the opinion of the scientist, the most basic research should be based on geological substantiation of resource potential of the Arctic subsoil. "These are our resources, and it needs to know them", he says. Therefore, conducting of worthy geological researches on study of both the territory and the water areas of the Arctic Ocean, in his opinion, is very important. Of course, deep drilling, probably, is especially important here. Because, without deep drilling it is impossible really to see, what happen in the shelf zone, in the coastal zone. "Probably, if we fulfill it, I think, serious geological discoveries wait for us", he says. Besides, in his speech academician focused attention to the problem of climate change. Here there are own risks of development, probably, first of all, it can be degradation of permafrost, which touches upon engineering constructions and loss of territories. The country loses territory on islands, in the coastal zone owing to thermal abrasion, recession of coasts, ice melting. Therefore it needs to study this process permanently and to struggle against it this or that way. Both a resource and a danger is other important consequence of climate change. This is the aspect, which is called hydrates, gas hydrates, which exist on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean and which rise to the surface at warming and emit methane as well as swamps in Western Siberia and other districts. It is a very difficult problem, which, in his opinion, should be studied from the point of view of resources and risks, as the expert notes. In the opinion of Kasimov, the role of specially protected territories should have big significance at development of the Arctic. Their area is very big, it is very important for preservation of wild nature, but, probably, if to look on the map, it is also the big area, where scientific researches should be concentrated now. Because preservation is preservation, researches are researches, which should be continued on northern islands, Taymyr, Wrangel Island and so on, as the first vice-president of the Russian Geographical Society notes.

Translated from Artyom Amelin The News Agency "Sever-Press"