The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has forwarded World Ocean initiatives to the Ministry of Economic Development. Its proposals for the draft concept of the World Ocean federal targeted program guarantee the necessary work conditions for the Arctic and Antarctic research stations, Sergei Donskoi, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said at the first meeting of the working group on Arctic environmental protection and rational use of its natural resources.

The initiatives envisage the upgrading of station infrastructure, the modernization of available research vessels, and the design and construction of new ships to replace the unserviceable ones.

The ministry has also requested that the relevant investment program include the design and construction of an ice-resistant self-propelled platform to float the future North Pole drifting research stations. R&D and construction is roughly estimated at 6.27 billion rubles, including VAT, Mr Donskoi said.