EU Sanctions on Murmansk Port Aim to Halt Russian Arctic Development: Expert

MURMANSK, April 28. /TASS/. The European Union's 20th package of sanctions, which includes a ban on operations with the port of Murmansk, is an attempt to halt the development of the Russian Arctic and Russia's exploration of the region, Alexey Fadeyev, Doctor of Economics, head of the expert council on the Arctic development under St. Petersburg's committee on external relations, told TASS. On April 23, the EU adopted the 20th sanctions package, which, among other restrictions, included a ban on operations with two Russian ports in Murmansk and Tuapse, as well as the oil terminal at the port of Karimun in Indonesia. "The sectoral restrictions introduced in the 20th sanctions package by the EU are an attempt to halt the large-scale development of the Arctic zone that is currently underway, as well as a direct confirmation of the strategic importance of the port of Murmansk for the Russian economy and the economies of a number of countries connected to Russia by the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor," the expert said. The port of Murmansk is a deep-water, ice-free port capable of handling vessels of any size, he noted, adding that its cargo range is extremely broad and includes mineral resources, crude oil, and potentially liquefied natural gas, coal, and much more. "Murmansk is a key port for Arctic logistics, strategically important both for the Russian economy and for the functioning of the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor. Currently, there is no objective evidence that the Murmansk port could be used to circumvent sanctions. European vessels do not call at Murmansk anyway, so the sectoral restrictions imposed have no impact on its operations," Fadeyev stressed.