Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev last month signed off on plans to increase annual freight traffic through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) to 80m tons by 2030 – a 20% increase on current levels. “This is the shortest route connecting Europe with the Far East, from the Asian-Pacific region to the Western half of North America,” he wrote on the government website. Only 41 ships used the route last year compered to o the 49 that use the Suez Canal each day. Over time, Moscow hopes to positions the NSR as a viable alternative to the Middle Eastern alternative.
Source: The Moscow Times