Russia to train Indian seafarers for polar and arctic waters
Russia have agreed to train Indian seafarers in the polar and Arctic waters. The decision was arrived at during talks to widen maritime cooperation in the Russian Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Wednesday.
The talks also focussed on the use of new transport corridors such as the Northern Sea Route via the Arctic (Vladivostok-Chennai route).
Discussions on India-Russia maritime cooperation gained momentum when ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal met Russian minister for development of the Far East and Arctic A O Chekunkov in Vladivostok on Wednesday.
Sonowal is representing India at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Sonowal said the India-Russia relationship has deep historical roots and is based on mutual respect and shared interests.
“We remain committed to maintaining strong ties and fostering strategic cooperation across various sectors.
With the support from the Russian government, our team visited the ports of Vladivostok, Vostochny, Nakhodka and Kozmino in May 2023, which helped us gain insights and collaboration forged during the visits to these ports has contributed to our understanding of requirements for the full-scale operationalisation of the Eastern Maritime Corridor,” he said.
The two sides also explored creation of a trans-shipment hub in the Bay of Bengal, ET has learnt. A workshop between Indian and Russian maritime stakeholders will be held in Chennai in October-November to discuss ways to put the Eastern Maritime Corridor in full operation.
