Russia is ready to cooperate with all interested countries in the Arctic, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Chairing a meeting with government members focused on the development of the Arctic zone, internet outages and a few government services, Putin noted that, "We are ready for cooperation, not just competition or confrontation, but cooperation with all interested countries.
We will certainly protect and, of course, defend our national interests in the Arctic." He said the Transarctic Transport Corridor, stretching from St. Petersburg through Murmansk to Vladivostok, is emerging as one of the world's safest, most reliable and most efficient shipping lanes, reported Xinhua news agency.
"I would like to emphasise the growing role of the Arctic in the global context, namely for the planet's ecology, for the global fuel, energy and raw materials complexes, and for increasing the sustainability of international trade and logistics links."
The importance of the Northern Transarctic Route "as the safest, most reliable and efficient route is becoming increasingly evident, against the backdrop of disruptions to global transport chains due to numerous conflicts, including in the Middle East," reported state-owned news agency TASS.
He also addressed internet outages in major cities, saying they are linked to preventing terrorist threats. Putin said, "Of course, if this is related to operational work to prevent terrorist attacks, and we know that, unfortunately, we sometimes miss such attacks, and, of course, the priority will always be ensuring the safety of people, our children, our loved ones, every citizen of Russia."
He added that he understands that when operational work is underway to prevent criminal acts and terrorist attacks, widely informing the public in advance can harm operational development, as criminals could adjust their behaviour and plans accordingly. He also mentioned that relevant agencies should inform people of the reasons for forced communication restrictions.