Russia intends to protect interests of its Arctic territories - Matviyenko

The Arctic territories are drawing a large number of countries like a 'magnet', and Russia intends to protect its national interests by speeding up the development of these regions, Valentina Matviyenko, speaker of the Federation Council, the upper chamber of Russia's parliament, has said on June 26.

"Yakutia is Russia's major Arctic region, which is home to a considerable number of representatives of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North. That is why issues concerning the development of the Arctic territories are especially relevant. The example of the republic [Yakutia] highlights the range of problems that require legislative and regulatory solutions at the federal level," Matviyenko told a meeting of the board of Russia's Expert Council on the Arctic and Antarctic in Yakutsk.

The Russian government has formulated its clear-cut policy with regard to this matter, she said.

"Russia should regain at a new level its leading role in Arctic exploration, which rightly belonged to us in the 20th century. Many domestic mining companies have launched major projects, are building new capacities to extract oil and gas and expanding their work on off-shore fields," she said.

Matviyenko also reiterated the need to draft a basic framework document, which would take account of the Arctic area's specifics and would offer mechanisms to maintain its comprehensive development.

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