An off-site meeting of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs was held in Murmansk, during which an event dedicated to compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was held. Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin, heads and representatives of federal and regional authorities took part in the meeting. "Russia, as a responsible participant in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, fully complies with its obligations, including in the issue of expanding the outer limits of the continental shelf in the Arctic. We submit applications to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and receive positive recommendations. This work will be continued. The Convention meets the interests of Russia, since it provides significant rights in terms of shipping, fishing, and mineral resource extraction, both in areas under our jurisdiction and on the high seas," noted Konstantin Kosachev.
First Deputy Governor of the Murmansk Region Oksana Demchenko emphasized the special significance of the fact that the meeting devoted to issues of compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea is being held in Murmansk, which is the historical and ideological beginning of the Northern Sea Route. "Our region is an active participant in solving such a strategic task as turning the NSR into a universal transport corridor. It is obvious that issues related to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea are of fundamental importance for ensuring Russia"s national interests in the Arctic in general and on the Northern Sea Route in particular. Illegal sanctions and attempts by unfriendly states to use the norms of international maritime law to limit Russia"s sovereignty and cause damage to the country in the sphere of shipping and international trade require legislators to take a comprehensive approach to the problems of legal regulation at sea," the Vice Governor said.
Acting Minister of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region Svetlana Panfilova presented a project for the integrated development of the Murmansk transport hub. The topic of the meeting remains highly relevant for the country as a whole and for the Murmansk Region in particular. The Convention is of great importance in terms of promoting the national interests of the Russian Federation in the Arctic, developing the Northern Sea Route, ensuring national security and protecting sovereignty over natural resources. In addition to the stated agenda, much attention was paid to the development of the Murmansk Region and other regions of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
"Discussion of practical and legislative steps to implement Russian policy in the Arctic is part of the agenda of the visiting session of the Federation Council. We are committed to serious work and are confident that we can count on the active participation of the Murmansk Region government on this issue," said Konstantin Kosachev. During the stay of the Russian senators in the Murmansk Region, a number of industrial and social facilities in the region were visited. One of them is the project to create a Center for the Construction of Large-Tongue Marine Structures. The senators, led by Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, noted the unique technical characteristics of the project, its high importance for the region and the country as a whole. The delegation also visited the site of the Lavna Coal Handling Complex, which is an integral part of the Integrated Development of the Murmansk Transport Hub project, which envisages the creation of transport infrastructure on the western shore of the Kola Bay, including coal and oil terminals, railway infrastructure, including the construction of the Vykhodnoy – Lavna railway line. The "Arctic Dialogue" was held at the Murmansk Arctic University as part of the event, with the participation of the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin. The guest answered students" questions and shared his life principles and the specifics of diplomatic activity.
The senators honored the memory of the defenders of the Arctic by visiting the monument to the Soviet soldier in Mezhdurechye, as well as the Valley of Glory, where they laid flowers to the fallen soldiers of the Great Patriotic War, and viewed the exposition of the museum that is being prepared for opening. Also, as part of the program of events of the visiting session of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, the senators headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Kosachev K.I. visited the Borisogrebsk checkpoint. The participants inspected the infrastructure of the checkpoint, the places of border and customs control, the administrative premises of the state control bodies.
During the visit, a meeting was held on the functioning of the checkpoint and border crossing by persons and vehicles, the movement of goods, and the specifics of interaction with the neighboring NATO member state, the Kingdom of Norway. The senators also visited the military unit of the village of Sputnik and the committee of families of soldiers of the Fatherland in Zapolyarny. Recall that in the government of the Murmansk region, Governor Andrei Chibis held a meeting with participants of the visiting session of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs under the leadership of Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev.
/ Ministry of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region /
