MOSCOW. May 19 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia will be strengthening its national security in the Arctic but will oppose its militarization, secretary of the Russian Maritime Board Alexander Balyberdin has said.
"We are by no means speaking of the militarization of the Arctic but the activities of some of our neighbors are forcing Russia to reconsider its policy in this sphere," he said at a Wednesday session of the second international forum on the Russian maritime industry in Moscow.
"At a certain time Russia actually curtailed its entire national security system in the Arctic direction," Balyberdin said.
'"Meanwhile, several neighboring states are intensively building naval ships of the ice-breaking class," he said. "Which means that they intend to protect their interests in the Arctic in earnest," the expert said.
"Of course, we would not want the Arctic to become an arena of confrontation but we must be ready for that," he concluded.
He also said that this and other issues will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Maritime Board due in Naryan-Mar.