The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and Rosatom will develop a programme of environmental monitoring in the waters of the North Sea Route (NSR) in March, Head of the Ministry Alexander Kozlov told the State Duma. This is reported by Interfax.

'The monitoring is already underway, but there is no limit to perfection: the water area to be monitored and the volume of parameters to be measured need to be expanded. A concept with a financial and economic feasibility study will be finalised by April. If the allocation of funding is supported, creation will begin next year. In the same vein, we are now discussing with specialists the requirements for ships passing through our Arctic seas. The North Sea Route is convenient and short, but we will not let the Arctic ecology be endangered,' the minister said.

He also recalled that research on the Severny Polyus ice-resistant platform is ongoing. The expedition will be completed in July and the research will also help develop the North Sea Route, Kozlov said.