North European Open Scientific and Educational Consortium Develops Russian-Indian Cooperation in the Arctic

The visit agenda addressed the main challenges in Russian-Indian cooperation in the Arctic including environmental safety problems, the development of new transport and logistics routes, the influence of China on international cooperation in the Arctic, and the exploration of the Russia-India-China trilateral format. Additionally, it focused on the transfer of scientific and expert knowledge from Russia to the international arena, and the promotion of Russian scientists' accomplishments in order to enhance understanding, mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure the smooth operation of global trade during international crises.

The delegation included representatives from three prominent higher education institutions in Northwestern Russia: Petrozavodsk State University (Petrozavodsk), Murmansk Arctic University (Murmansk), and St. Petersburg State University (St. Petersburg). The event was conducted under the auspices of the North European Open Science and Education Consortium, which was established in 2021 at the initiative of Petrozavodsk State University.

The visit program included various forms of discussions and exchanging views on the agenda at the following organizations:

• Observer Research Foundation’s Analytical Center;
• Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Research and Analysis;
• National Maritime Foundation Research Institute;
• Indian Council of Foreign Affairs;
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research;
• Indian Organization for Science and Geopolitics in the Arctic and Antarctic SaGAA;
• NatStrat Center for Strategic Security Studies.                                                      

Despite the different specifics and profiles of these institutions' work, there was a shared intention to develop and strengthen Russian-Indian cooperation in the Arctic through problem-oriented project activities, joint research and educational initiatives in the region expressed at various events. 

During the visit, Pankaj Saran, former Indian Ambassador to Russia, highlighted that the current focus of cooperation between our countries is mainly on military and military-technical aspects. However, it is crucial to recognize how this agenda may evolve in the future. The former ambassador also emphasized the potential for tourism development, particularly in the European part of the Russian Arctic. Nonetheless, the lack of marketing for key destinations and difficulties in promoting services of the Russian tourism cluster are seen as obstacles to Russian-Indian cooperation in this field.

The experts were very interested in the issues of assessing the carbon footprint of economic activities in the Arctic marine environment, emergency response and oil spill response preparedness, the development of the Murmansk transportation hub as a possible junction for international transportation corridors such as the North-South and Northern Sea Route, and the development of resource project logistics.

As a result, the sides agreed to develop and strengthen scientific and expert dialogue on high latitude issues, exchange proposals for organizing study visits and short-term exchanges involving international representatives, promote further development of publications to increase knowledge about key trends and processes in the Russian Arctic and assist in the development of educational modules on Arctic topics.