Russian Scientific Arctic Expedition to be established on Spitsbergen
© RIA Novosti. Aleksandr Kovalev

Russian Scientific Arctic Expedition to be established on Spitsbergen

The Russian Scientific Arctic Expedition will be set up on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) Archipelago as part of the state program Environmental Protection 2012-2020 under a directive signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. This directive is consistent with the provisions of the Svalbard Treaty and other international treaties.

"The expedition is expected to enhance the efficiency of Russian organizations working on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) Archipelago and in the adjacent waters of the Arctic Ocean, as well as expand international cooperation," the directive says.

The Russian Scientific Arctic Expedition will create conditions for the operation of the Russian Research Center, which was set up on Spitsbergen under a decision adopted in 2014. The expedition will provide information and methodological support to the center and will also oversee the planning and implementation of the center's activities and research programs.

The year-round expedition will have a permanent staff of 25 employees from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, who will ensure the uninterrupted operation of its research infrastructure and the Barentsburg Zonal Hydrometeorological Observatory. A group of 75 people will work there on a seasonal basis and will include researchers from other agencies of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring and students and trainees from industry-specific universities

Russian organizations will be able to apply for research projects on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) Archipelago and in the adjacent waters of the Arctic Ocean. The expedition will also coordinate and provide logistics support to such research.

The expedition will be financed by funds allocated under the state program Environmental Protection, 2012-2020.