MURMANSK. April 6 (Interfax) - Russia will conduct major interagency exercises in the Arctic once every two years, Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov said.
"We have decided that such exercises will be conducted once every two years," Kurenkov said on Thursday.
"The exercises will be made more complex each time," he said.
Kurenkov also mentioned increased cooperation with foreign countries to maintain security within the Safe Arctic 2023 exercise zone.
"Your involvement clearly confirms the interest in the Arctic and the humanitarian mission at the international level, and it also demonstrates your openness and willingness to bolster cooperation on security," Kurenkov said at a meeting with foreign representatives at the base of Russia's Atomflot company in Murmansk on Thursday.
The Arctic is currently one of the most promising areas not only in Russia, but also in the world, he said.
Some of the foreign representatives involved in the drills acknowledged the scale of the exercises and the training level of Russian specialists.
The Safe Arctic 2023 major interagency exercise is currently taking place in the Arctic, on April 6-7, at Kurenkov's initiative and on Russian President Vladimir Putin's instructions. Twenty-one federal executive bodies, two state corporations, and 11 other organizations are taking part in the drills, along with nearly 40 representatives from 13 countries.