The Russian Ministry of Transport will present alternative proposals on which structures are to develop the Northern Sea Route (NSR), TASS reports citing Deputy Minister of Transport Viktor Olersky.

He added that this work is being done on the president's orders. "Now we are holding consultations with Rosatom," Olersky said.

"This is extensive and complicated work. It's hard to say when it will be completed," he added.

TASS reports that earlier Olersky said that the Transport Ministry was proposing to merge the administration and the Hydrographic Enterprise into the Administration of the Northern Sea Route and expand the functions of this new agency to provide services to ship owners, the fleet and other clients who use the NSR.

Aide to the President Igor Levitin believes that the structure that will oversee the development of the NSR should include not only representatives of the ministry's subordinate agencies, but also representatives of the Russian regions and operations units.

Today the Northern Sea Route has its own administration and several other organizations working along the route, including ones that are subordinate to the Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water TransportFederal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transpor. In particular, the Hydrographic Enterprise carries out an entire range of hydrographic and navigation work, Rosmorport and Atomflot offer icebreaker escort services, the Sea Rescue Service is responsible for emergencies, the Navy Department of Navigation and Oceanography issues maps and manuals and, Rosmorport together with the Special Communications Main Center relays navigation and hydrometeorological information to sailors.