Aiming to enhance maritime cooperation, India and Russia have agreed to a range of collaborative initiatives. On September 13, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal held discussions with A.O. Chekunkov, Russia’s Minister for the Development of Far East and Arctic, at the Pavilion of Kamchatka Territory, “Far East Street” in Vladivostok, Russia.
During the meeting, both leaders discussed the possibility of using new transport corridors like the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as well as the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) between Vladivostok and Chennai.
Another major development from the meeting was that both countries also decided to train Indian seafarers in Polar and Arctic waters at the Russian Maritime Training Institute, named after GI Admiral Nevelsky, which is equipped with simulator training facilities in Vladivostok.
Union Minister Sonowal underscored the deep historical ties between India and Russia, emphasising a commitment to fostering strategic cooperation. He highlighted an upcoming workshop in Chennai focusing on operationalizing the EMC and extended an invitation to Russia to participate in the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023.
Russian Minister A.O. Chekunkov said, “We discussed the development of maritime communications between our countries as well as the prospects for using the Northern Sea Route. This dynamic of contacts is the foundation for further strengthening our partnership.”
“The NSR is a global transport project. Its development can provide economic benefits to both Russia and non-regional states. For India, this is an opportunity to increase sales of shipbuilding products and gain income from participation in the general logistics business in northern latitudes,” added the Russian Minister.