MOSCOW, November 6 (RIA Novosti) — Enormous costs of Arctic exploration requires the participation of all Arctic nations in the process, Frederik Paulsen, who participated in Arktika 2007 Russian expedition to the North Pole, told RIA Novosti Thursday.
"The capital investment that is needed is so enormous that any individual country will not be able to do that. No country has enough money that needs to be contributed. May be Norway has… But there has to be collaboration between the governments and private industries," Paulsen said.
He added that a partnership between Russia and Norway in exploring the Arctic "would be an ideal solution" and expressed hope that the current "situation of boycott [anti-Russia sanctions] will disappear relatively quickly," so that the countries would be able to work together efficiently.
Paulsen also noted that Canada has been actively building up its presence in the Arctic recently.
"Canada is putting a massive investment in the Arctic. They are setting up the fleet of… armed ice breakers, they are building stations in the North for these ice breakers, and they are really putting in all infrastructures to defend their interest in the Arctic," he said.
Paulsen added that the issue of climate change in the Arctic may also be looked at from a positive perspective, as it creates an "extraordinary situation" for Russia when "its enormous land mass [in the Arctic region] will become more and more possible to develop".
Russia is strengthening its military, political and economic positions in the Arctic. In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized the establishment of a new state body for the development of the region. Moreover, the president commissioned the government to envisage a full financial support of the Arctic's development program since 2017. In addition, Putin ordered strengthening military infrastructure in the Arctic, which would enhance the border control.
