Russia in the Arctic: Opportunities and Peculiarities of International Cooperation

The Arctic and related issues became an extremely hot topic at the turn of the 21st century. The reasons for this new focus on the region are chiefly economic: soaring global energy prices made many parties turn their attentions to the Arctic, where experts believe there are vast hydrocarbon reserves.Activity here would give a new impulse to security, transportation, logistic and ecological projects.

The Arctic and related issues became an extremely hot topic at the turn of the 21stcentury. The reasons for this new focus on the region are chiefly economic: soaring global energy prices made many parties turn their attentions to the Arctic, where experts believe there are vast hydrocarbon reserves.Activity here would give a new impulse to security, transportation, logistic and ecological projects. As a result, alongside developing these natural resources, problems such as transport corridor infrastructure, security and sustainable development are all paramount. Since the economic and political interests of Russia, the United States, Canada, Denmark, and Norway, all of which are Arctic states, as well as that of numerous EU and Pacific countries overlap, the solutions will largely hinge on the nature of international cooperation.

Russia boasts a unique geopolitical position in the Arctic, as it seems no regional matter of any significance can be dealt with without Moscow's active engagement and support. Russia covers almost a half the territory and waters above the Polar Circle, almost twice the size of the Canadian sector, which is itself the largest of all other nation’s holdings. Russia's Arctic coast extends into the continental shelf, which is the largest of any in the world’s oceans and is also enormously resource-rich. About 80 percent of the shelf encircling the Arctic basin is in Russian seas. For C21 Russia, the Arctic means a reserve of geographic space, a potential supply of vital natural resources, and an arena on which the younger generation can focus its efforts. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the Arctic's importance for Russia is unquestionably strategic given the country's long-term goals and competitiveness on global markets [1]. Therefore, Russia should fine-tune its domestic and foreign policies to ensure its Arctic potential is realized in full and at minimal political and economic cost.

Photo: RIAC Infographics.
Arctic Council

Russian diplomacy should keep in mind that, today, international interaction in the Arctic presents a paradox. On the one hand, the key actors are stepping up competition for influence, while on the other hand no major project can be implemented by any single Arctic country alone. Therefore, Russia’s priorities as the largest Arctic state seem to lie in clearly defining its approach to future resource development, establishing distinct projects and sounding out their compatibility with its Arctic partners.

Led by the Arctic Council, the existing institutional framework for international cooperation in the region holds out the hope that mutual understanding and assistance will prevail, but this does not mean that Russia should be left unable to effectively defend its national interests in the North. For example, the United States has said it will not ratify the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, maintaining that it contradicts its vital interests. Russia's current priority is proving that the Lomonosov and Mendeleev Ridges are extensions of its continental shelf. A great deal of work has been undertaken to this end, with all the necessary materials presented and foreign practices analyzed, in order for the United Nations to take a positive decision in before the end of 2013, allowing Russia to expand its Exclusive Economic Zone by 1.2 million square kilometers.

Photo: RIA Novosti
Northern Sea Route

The Arctic is also of critical military-strategic importance to Russia. An analysis of the Arctic states’ defense potential and plans shows that the region must not become an arena for armed confrontation or a newarms race. All the parties agree that they can overcome their occasional differences and concentrate on moving forward in close and constructive cooperation. Today’ssecurity challenges in the Arctic to a great extent originate from climate change, and carry largely nonmilitary implications. Hence, full-fledged and multifaceted cooperation between the Arctic states offers grounds for an adequate response to emerging challenges and threats.

The Arctic is one of the main resource-rich regions on the planet, containing up to one-third of the world’s hydrocarbons. Practically all experts agree that the Arctic shelf holdsvastmineral reserves which can be extracted using available technologies, or at least, that is the logical conclusion given the dozens of platforms operated effectively offshore Canada and Norway. Developing continental shelf to seethe Arctic become an oil and gas production zoneof global importance is Russia's key medium-to-longterm task. Accomplishing this would lend a clear outline both to the region's future and to Russia's role as an energy superpower, since its offshore hydrocarbon reserves are assessed at 9-10 billion equivalent tons. Russia should take best existing international practice on-board and attract foreign partners to get involved in developing its resources. Of course, there are obvious risks, but these could be minimized by rational organization and observance of safety rules.

Environmental protection holds a special place in international cooperation and is an intrinsic part of any Arctic project. With economic activities on the rise, environmental safety seems an absolute priority, raising the need for a qualitatively new level of responsible international cooperation in this critical area. Withthe world's longest coastline in the North, Russia viewsenvironmental protection inthe Arctic as a strategic necessity. A healthy ecosystem, stable access to natural resources, protection of the region’s unique flora and fauna, and prevention of emergencies along the Northern Sea Route and atoffshore production sitesconstitute a string of keyproblems that can onlybe resolved only through the concerted efforts of federal and local authorities. As President Vladimir Putin once noted, otherwise "global advantages may turn into global headaches." [2]

Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
Arctic Council

Russia will not be able to economically develop the Arctic without appropriate transportation, the key role given to the Northern Sea Route (NSR) – the shortest waterway connecting Russia's western and eastern territories, as well as European and Asian ports–which is most likely to offer the shortest link between Asia Pacific and Europe in the long term. For Russia, the NSR is of strategic importance, as its revivaland developmentpromise significant economic and political dividends. In 2012, its cargo traffic totaled five million tons, while in future the figure might grow more than tenfold. Current investment programs suggest that by 2020 NSR traffic should reach 64 million tons, and by 2030 – 85 million tons. The NSR seems more attractive for Western carriers than the Northwest Passage through Canadian and U.S. waters. So, Russia must do its best to adapt the route for international shipping within its national law and international agreements [3]. To this end, making the NSR more attractivefor foreign partners and creatingappropriate investment conditions seem vital. The route's future depends on the scale of investment and commercial activities in the Arctic and sub-Arctic seas, while in the long run the effect could be on par with the Suez and Panama canals.

It is of utmost importance thatscientific research is established on alevel matching the complexity and diversity of Russia's northern policies, whilethe Arctic's rising economic and political importance makes international cooperation in this field viewed as a stable option in growing numbers of various countries’ scientific missions. Russian science may boast vast experience in Arctic research and has made a sizeable contribution tounveiling the region's mysteries, but in the past decade it has suffered a painful generation gap and the subsequent shortage of skilled specialists. A way out may lie in providing the Arctic with an integrated education, research and investment structure of the kind that seems to be emerging with the establishment of the Northern (Arctic) Federal University on the Russian President's Executive Order number 1172 dated October 21, 2009 [4]. The other positive signs worth noting include the restoration of the coastal polar stations, new observatories on the Franz Josef Archipelago, Bely Island and Tiksi, as well as more regular seasonal expeditions.

International Cooperation in the Arctic
Report 2013

One cannot imagine the development ofa consistent foreign policy in the Arctic and its implementation in the absence of proper support from the Russian scholars who have showed growing interest in the region, as evidenced by the snowballing publications on polar issues. In the 1990s – 2000s, papers emerged attempting to analyze various aspects of the processes underway in the Arctic. However, systematic monographs showingan integrated grasp and assessment of international cooperation are virtually nonexistent. RIAC's three-volume anthology “The Arctic Region: Problems of International Cooperation” is absolutely unique in that it systematized current Russian research and analytical papers on issues critical to theinteraction of the states in the region. Each section of the anthology covers a separate aspect of international cooperation, reflecting wide-ranging views of various Russian experts. One volume is devoted to the international law governing relations between regional states, offering a collection of basic agreements and treaties.

International cooperation in economic and resource development of the Arctic is an imperative for Russia. However this does not mean that Russia must make unacceptable concessions in selecting the form this cooperation takes. Russia’s right to an Arctic sector cannot be questioned. It is imperative that Russia retains its status of a great Arctic power. Recently, the Russian Government has made great strides to war dattaining this goal both domestically and internationally, and we seem to have every reason to be optimistic about Russia's Arctic future.

1. Dmitry Medvedev's Address to the Security Council "On Protection of Russia's National Interests in the Arctic", the Kremlin, 09/17/2009: http://президент.рф/новости/1434

2. President Putin's address to international forum "Arctic as a Territory for Dialogue"09/23/2010: http://government.ru/docs/12304/

3. Basics of the Russian Federation State Policy in the Arctic through2020 and Beyond" // Rossiyskaya Gazeta, 03/27/2009

4. Presidential Executive Order 1172 of 10/21/2009 http://graph.document.kremlin.ru/page.aspx?1030397