MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. The reckless desire of some Western countries to contain Russia in the Arctic has negative consequences for the entire global economy, Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Problems at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said.
"It is obvious that the reckless intention of some Western states to restrain Russia in the Arctic, including through the endless escalation of sanctions-driven pressure on our economic operators and their foreign partners, has very negative consequences for the whole global community, and indeed for the entire world economy," the diplomat said at the session "The Northern Sea Route - 500 Years from Now" held as part of Atomic Week in Moscow.
As the diplomat noted, such a policy by some Western nations endangers international project cooperation in the north, as well as joint work in emergency response, search and rescue, fisheries, ecology, environmental protection, and scientific research.
The diplomat stressed that Russia has been, is, and will remain the largest Arctic power. The future of the Arctic, with its unique climate and vulnerable biological environment, and the prospects for international dialogue in the region largely depend on Russia, he said.
