Moscow In Talks With Arctic Council's Observer Nations On Snezhinka Arctic Station

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) Russia is engaged in negotiations with the Arctic Council's observer nations on the construction of the Snezhinka (Snowflake) international Arctic station, and several countries have already indicated their interest, Nikolai Korchunov, the ambassador-at-large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and a senior official of the Arctic Council, said in an interview with Sputnik.

Korchunov earlier noted that Beijing, as well as Seoul, was interested in cooperation on the Snezhinka station construction and was ready to supply equipment. Russia presented the Arctic Hydrogen Energy Applications and Demonstrations (AHEAD) project on the Snezhinka zero-carbon station construction to the Arctic Council's working group on sustainable development late in 2019, Korchunov recalled. According to the diplomat, last June, AHEAD was unanimously supported by all the Arctic nations.

"Norway became the co-organizing country. Apart from that, two of the 13 Arctic Council's observer nations, Germany and the Republic of Korea, got the status of AHEAD project official partners.

We are in talks with other observers that are interested in comprehensive cooperation on the basis of the year-round platform. China has indicated its interest," Korchunov said.

According to the Russian diplomat, international partners can participate in the project in various formats: send delegations to work at the station; use their companies and institutes' equipment for some tests there; participate in targeted financing of Snezhinka construction and equipping; and hold events at this scientific platform.

"We are also studying the possibility of joint projects with AHEAD within the Arctic Council's working group on sustainable development and other subsidiary bodies of the council, as well as an international network of universities and colleges UArctic [The University of the Arctic], in which over 200 participants (including over 40 representing Russia) actively interact on various scientific and educational programs," Korchunov added.