The Russian State Duma has approved on first reading the bill on amendments to Russian law regulating merchant shipping on the Northern Sea Route, the lower house member Artur Chilingarov’s press service said.
The bill establishes the Northern Sea Route Administration and sets rules for navigation on the shipping lane.
The bill was prepared by the Ministry of Transport and approved in June by the Russian Government.
The bill enactment would create a single management system in the waters of the Northern Sea Route and modern infrastructure ensuring safe navigation of vessels in the Arctic seas, including navigational and hydrographic support and icebreaker assistance.