Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed the concept for the World Ocean federal target program till 2031.

"The new program is a continuation of the previous one, which was in place from 1998 to 2013, but unlike its predecessor, the new program should first of all be focused on research," Mr. Medvedev said at a meeting with deputy prime ministers on Monday, June 22.

The head of the government reminded the audience that about 7 mln sq km of ocean are under Russian jurisdiction and sovereignty. "We are, undoubtedly, one of the leading maritime powers and so we bear our share of responsibility for studying bodies of water and the shelf, monitoring the condition of all these natural resources and, certainly, controlling sea borders," the prime minister said.

He said that it is impossible to pursue a sound policy that meets the country's interests without understanding the condition of the marine environment and without technological concepts in this field. "For this reason, our efforts in the next 15 years will be aimed at making better use of the scientific potential of our country's seas," Mr. Medvedev said.

The federal target program includes such sub-programs as Integrated Exploration of the Antarctic Region, Field Research in the World Ocean,  and Goal-Oriented Research of the World Ocean Nature (including scientific research on Spitsbergen archipelago), among others.