c)in the sphere of ecological protection, the preservation and protection of the natural ecosystem of the Arctic, and the mitigation of the ecological consequences of increased economic activity and global climate change;
d)in the sphere of information technology and telecommunications, the formation of a unified information space in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation;
e)in the sphere of international cooperation, guaranteeing mutually beneficial bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the Russian Federation and other Arctic states on the basis of international treaties and agreements to which the Russian Federation is a signatory.
7.The main strategic priorities of the Russian Federation’s official state policy in the Arctic are:
a)the active interaction of the Russian Federation with other Arctic states for the purposes of delineating maritime boundaries on the basis of international legal norms and cooperative agreements, taking into account the national interests of the Russian Federation;
b)the increase in efforts of Arctic states to create a unified regional system of search and rescue, as well as prevention of technical accidents and the mitigation of their consequences, including the coordination of rescue forces;
c)the strengthening of Russia’s relations with other Arctic states, both bilateral and multilateral, including the Arctic Council and the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, by promoting greater economic, scientific, technological, and cultural interaction, as well as cooperation in the field of border control and in the areas of natural resources and ecosystem preservation in the Arctic;
d)assistance in the creation and use of transit and cross-polar aerial routes in the Arctic, as well as in the use of the North Sea passage for international maritime navigation within the jurisdiction of Russian Federation and in accordance to Russia’s international agreements;
e)the promotion of participation of Russian state organizations and public organizations in the activities of international forums dedicated to the Arctic, including inter-parliamentary cooperation within the Russia-EU partnership;
f)the delineation of the maritime territory of the Arctic Ocean and securing a mutually beneficial presence for the Russian Federation on the Spitsbergen peninsula;
g)the improvement in state management of the socioeconomic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, including the expansion of applied scientific research in the Arctic;
h)an improvement in the quality of life of the indigenous population of the Arctic and the social conditions of economic development in the Arctic;
i)the development of the resource base of the Russian Federation’s Arctic zone through the use of promising technologies;
j)the modernization and development of the transportation infrastructure and fishing industry of the Russian Federation’s Arctic zone.
IV. MAIN CHALLENGES AND MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTING RUSSIAN STATE POLICY IN THE ARCTIC
8.The main goals of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic are achieved by solving the following basic problems:
a)in the area of socioeconomic development it is necessary:
—to finalize the collection of geological, geophysical, hydrographical, and cartographical data necessary for the delineation of the outer border of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation;
—to provide for an increase in the reserves of natural resources originating in Arctic waters, partially by launching state programs for investigating and integrating the continental shelf of the Russian Federation, as well as by initiating the process of mastering the natural gas and oil reserves in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation;
—to develop and introduce new technologies designed to acquire sea minerals and aqueous natural resources under Arctic conditions, including in ice-covered regions, and to create a base for aviation technology and fishing vessels, as well as the necessary infrastructure for work under Arctic conditions;
—to optimize the economic mechanisms of the “Northern Delivery” project, by utilizing renewable and alternative sources of energy, including local sources, and by reconstructing and modernizing energy production;
—to promote the restructuring of North Sea Passage traffic, by means of state support for the production of icebreaking, emergency, rescue and support vessels, as well as coastal infrastructure;
—to establish a system of maritime navigation security and transportation control in regions of intense naval traffic, including through the creation of a set of hydro-meteorological and navigational provisions for the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation;
—to create a system of complex security for the defense of the territories, population, and objects in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation critically vital to Russian national security from threats of natural and technical character.
The primary means for implementing state policy in the area of socioeconomic development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation are:
—government support for industrial subjects active in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, specifically in the areas of hydrocarbon and other natural resources, by the means of utilizing innovative technology, developing transportation and energy infrastructure, improving customs and tax regulation;
—stimulating the expansion and completion of new Arctic assimilation projects by co-financing them with the aid of various levels of the Russian budget system and outside resources, and by guaranteeing state payment for labor, including research and exploration;
—modernization of social infrastructure, including educational facilities and medical facilities, as well as construction of housing and national projects of high priority;
—provision of training for specialists for work in Arctic conditions, and of assurance of government aid and compensation for persons working and living in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation;
—provision of accessible and quality medical care for all peoples living and working in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, partially by expanding and modernizing first-aid systems;
—improvement of educational programs for the native population of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, especially by preparing children for life in a modern society with the ability to cope with extreme weather conditions, including equipping educational facilities and remote residential areas with technology necessary for distance learning;
—guaranteeing the implementation of nature preservation techniques and ecologically safe tourism in the areas of residence of native peoples, as well as the preservation of their culture, language, and tradition.
b)in the sphere of military security, defense, and protection of the Russian border in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation it is necessary to do the following:
—to create general purpose military formations drawn from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as other troops and military formations (most importantly, border units) in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, capable of ensuring security under various military and political circumstances;
—to optimize the complex system of control over the situation in the Arctic, including border control at the entry points to the Russian Federation, the introduction of an administrative border regime in the Arctic Zone, and technical control over straits, river mouths, estuaries on the North Sea Passage;
—improve the capabilities of the border troops to match the sophistication of potential threats to Russian national security in the Arctic.