India is one of the nations engaged in the "most productive" discussions with Russia on Arctic cooperation, according to senior foreign ministry official said on Thursday.
Speaking at the fourth Arctic – Regions Forum, Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Problems at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, said that the number of states looking to cooperate with Russia in the high northern latitudes is steadily growing, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
The most constructive discussions are emerging with China and India, which not only show strong interest in Arctic-related issues but also have substantial resources to carry out joint projects and initiatives in this field, Maslennikov said.
The Arctic region lies above 66 degrees north latitude and, along with Antarctica, accounts for nearly 90 per cent of the planet’s ice sheets and holds 70 per cent of its fresh water reserves. Unlike the Arctic, which is an ocean encircled by continents, Antarctica is a continent encircled by ocean.
Maslennikov's remark followed, by one day, Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that Moscow's partners India and China, along with other nations, are expressing interest in collaborating with Russia on Arctic projects and utilizing the Northern Sea Route.
Putin underscored the importance of using the Northern Sea Route, pointing to what he described as rising tensions in the Arctic and Asia-Pacific regions.
In July, a parliamentary panel in New Delhi advised the government to explore the idea of appointing a "polar ambassador".
It stated that establishing such a role would enable India to highlight the significance of these regions within its foreign policy framework, while also advancing its "polar diplomacy" more effectively.
Most of the Arctic region encompasses territories sovereign to the Arctic nations and is also inhabited by about four million people, of which roughly 10 per cent are indigenous, the panel said.
