The Arctic has emerged as a global transport corridor, and discussing sustainable development issues involving the ocean has never been so important. The Moscow School of Management (SKOLKOVO) and RSIS jointly organised an Arctic dialogue titled “The Arctic as a Global Transport Corridor: Sustainable Arctic Shipping” on 17 December 2021. The dialogue was supported by the foreign affairs ministries of Russia and Singapore.
Russia’s Ambassador-at-Large Mr Nikolay Korchunov emphasised that Singapore was a good partner for cooperation because of its extensive range of maritime expertise such as shipbuilding, maritime infrastructure and shipping management. The cooperation will be useful for the Russia Federation in developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR) to ensure viable, economical, efficient and sustainable transit between Europe and Asia. Ambassador Korchunov added that the use of cutting-edge technologies in the development of the NSR should have positive effects, not just on the economies of the region and the environment but also on the local population, including the indigenous people living in the Arctic region.
Ambassador Korchunov’s call for more cooperation was supported by the various speakers in the two countries, who came from government agencies, businesses and academia . The speakers discussed topics ranging from economic development of the Arctic region to the implications of climate change. The speakers also highlighted some of the innovative products and capabilities for sustainable Arctic shipping. Potential cooperation between Russian and Singaporean companies on emerging industries such as hydrogen and other clean fuels and the possibilities of sharing maritime experiences were also discussed.
In his concluding remarks, Singapore’s Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs, Mr Sam Tan, underscored the importance of achieving the sustainable economic development of the Arctic in the context of climate challenges, as well as the importance of innovation to develop technology for sustainable shipping. He reiterated Singapore’s support for the focus adopted by Russia in its chairmanship of the Arctic Council, namely, “Responsible Governance for Sustainable Arctic”. He noted that this focus was also pertinent for the world at large as it took steps to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catch it here on the RSISVideoCast YouTube channel:
