The Head of Karelia took part in a meeting on navigation safety in the Baltic Sea
The meeting was chaired by the Aide to the President of Russia, the Chairman of the Russian Maritime Board Nikolai Patrushev.
The event took place on the territory of the Ust-Luga seaport in the Leningrad Region. The Presidential Aide discussed additional measures aimed at developing and ensuring the security of the Baltic port infrastructure, as well as measures to diversify transport and logistics routes in the context of possible restrictions on shipping in the Baltic Sea with the representatives of the federal authorities and the heads of the regions of the Northwestern Federal District.
The measures to respond to the growing threats of unauthorized interference in the activities of the transport and logistics infrastructure, to attempts to commit sabotage and terrorist acts, including unmanned aircraft and vessels usage, were examined in detail. The efficiency assessment of the previously adopted measures to enhance the security of ships and marine infrastructure facilities was made.
It was emphasized that the priority of the national maritime policy in the Baltic Sea is, first of all, development of the domestic coastal and port infrastructure in the interests of reorienting export and import cargo to the domestic ports.
– Considering the increased activity of NATO countries in the Baltic, it is very important to organize new transport routes. They should become an alternative to those that pass through the Baltic Sea. And here our White Sea-Baltic Canal can play one of the key roles, – emphasized the Head of Karelia Artur Parfenchikov. – The White Sea-Baltic Canal connects inland waterways, the White Sea with the Baltic and the Caspian Seas. And we must use this transport artery more actively to reorient cargo flows. Yes, a serious reconstruction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal is needed. It is held within the framework of the strategy for development of the Arctic zone of Russia.
Artur Parfenchikov also noted that in order for the WSBC to become an important logistics hub for the Russian shipping industry, they organized work on developing the Kemsko-Belomorsk agglomeration in the Karelian Arctic.
– We are working on the issue of restoring port facilities, and we are also developing the railway infrastructure. After all, this is where the Northern and the October railways meet, – said the Head of Karelia.
