MOSCOW. March 27 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia intends to form a group of forces in the Arctic region in order to ensure state military security, which is provided in the strategy of Russia's policy in the Arctic region in the period to 2020 and beyond.
"As to the sphere of military security and the protection of the Russian state border, a group of general purpose forces of the Russian Armed Forces, other troops, military units and agencies, primarily border agencies, should be created in Russia's Arctic zone, which are capable to guarantee military security in different military and political situations," the strategy, which was adopted last year and now has been posted on the Russian Security Council's website, reads.
The strategy suggests forming border zones in Russia's Arctic region and organizing technical control over straights, rivers mouths and bays along the Northern Sea Route.
A coast guard structure of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) is expected to be set up in the Arctic zone in order to pursue the goals of the state militarily security policy, the document reads.
It is expected that the border infrastructure of Russia's Arctic zone will be developed and border agencies will be re-equipped in order to create a system of comprehensive control over the situation on the sea and strengthen state control over fishing in Russia's Arctic zone, the strategy reads.
Russia's Arctic zone is a strategic resource base for the resolution of socio-economic development problems, the document reads.
According to the strategy, Russia's national interests in the Arctic region are the preservation of this region as a peace and cooperation zone, as well as the region's unique environment, and using the Northern Sea Route as the nation's single transport route in the Arctic region.
Active interaction with other Arctic states on delimiting maritime areas and securing Russia's mutually beneficial presence on Spitsbergen on the basis of international law and Russia's international agreements, as well as on the legal justification of Russia's continental shelf border in the Artic region, are the strategic priorities of Russia's state policy.