The first voyages are scheduled for the second half of the year

The Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic says it will select companies for subsidized shipping on the Northern Sea Route. The first agreement for coastal shipping covered by subsidies will be signed in the second half of the year.

According to Aleksey Chekunkov, RF Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, a schedule will be developed with approved routes for transportation between the northern and the Far East ports and back.

At least two round voyages subsidized by the federal budget are to be made this year.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin earlier signed a Decree on reduced rates for cargo transportation by the Northern Sea Route. They will be subsidized by the federal budget and will apply to short-sea cargo traffic between the ports of Saint-Petersburg, Murmansk and the Far East region. RUB 560 million will be allocated for that purpose annually.

The Northern Sea Route is single transport system in the Russian Arctic sector. It stretches along the northern coasts of Russia across the seas of the Arctic Ocean (Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, Chukchi seas). The route links the European ports of Russia with the mouths of navigable rivers in Siberia and the Far East.

Source: PortNews