Russia announced on Friday the arrival of the first ship from China on the Northern Sea Route, which connects Asia to Europe via the Arctic, in what is considered one of Moscow’s great ambitions to develop its international trade.
“Today the first ship arrived in the Kaliningrad region via the Northern Sea Route,” regional governor Anton Alikhanov said on Telegram.
But he did not specify the nature of the shipment. The photos published by the Russian official show a container ship called “NEWNEW POLAR BEAR.”
He explained that the ship left Shanghai via Arkhangelsk (northern Russia), before arriving in Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region, a Russian enclave at the gates of the European Union.
Alikhanov said that its final destination is St. Petersburg (northwest), the capital of the former Russian Empire.
Transport companies plan to ensure that this route, also called the Northeast Corridor, can be used permanently. “It will be cheaper and faster than going through the Suez Canal,” Alikhanov said.
Russian mockery of the Suez Canal… and promotion of the northern route
Although nearly $300 million worth of Russian goods are stuck in the Suez Canal, Moscow is trying to exploit the crisis to promote its northern sea route and allay European concerns about Nord Stream 2.
Moscow hopes that this route through the Arctic, which has become more passable due to global warming and the melting of ice, will be able to compete in the future with the Suez Canal in fuel trade in particular.
For years, Russia has been building port infrastructure, liquefied natural gas facilities, and icebreakers.
However, navigating the harsh conditions of the Arctic remains a major challenge, and this road is still a long way from replacing the Suez Canal.
The Russian ambition to develop trade via this sea route has gained greater importance for the Kremlin in light of the adoption of many punitive measures due to Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, which weakens Russian trade.
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2023-10-06 15:06:32
