Russia prepared for cooperation in Arctic, though should provide own priority - Putin

MOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Russia is prepared for cooperation with other countries in development of the Arctic territories, though it should provide own priority, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said during the annual televised question and answer session on Thursday. "This region attracts active interest also from the so-called non-regional countries," he said. "This is good, we are prepared for cooperating with them, but we should provide our own priority." During sightseeing tours to the Franz Joseph Land archipelago, some guides say about the islands: "formerly they belonged to the Soviet Union," the president said. "Many foreign tourists are coming there, and some guides said quite openly to their groups: These islands formerly belonged to the Soviet Union." This should alert us, as it is our territory. Thus, we should organize use of those routes, we should be working in those territories, should have sovereignty of those territories," he said. Read more