Northern Fleet strengthens Arctic cooperation

The Russian Navy is helping to strengthen cooperation among Arctic states, a spokesman for the Navy Press and Information Service of the Defense Ministry told reporters on Monday.

“The Navy high command pays special attention to cooperation with the Arctic states as part of measures to strengthen mutual trust in the Arctic zone,” said a spokesman for the Russian Navy. “Accordingly, Russian naval ships paid visits to the ports of the Arctic region and engaged in joint exercises with the naval forces of neighboring countries. This was done primarily by the Northern Fleet.”

The spokesman added that a number of similar events took place in 2009-2010.

The Northern Fleet’s submarine Magnitogorsk paid an unofficial visit to Norway’s Bergen from May 21 to May 25, 2009. The Northern Fleet’s large antisubmarine ship Severomorsk took part in the Pomor-2010 bilateral Norwegian-Russian naval exercises for search and rescue operations at sea and made an official visit to the Norwegian port of Haakonsvern from July 4 to July 12, 2010.

The Northern Fleet’s SB-523 salvage tug took part in the international command post exercise “Barents Rescue-2010” on June 9-10, 2010, which was led by the Russian Emergencies Ministry in Russia. Norway, Sweden and Finland also participated in the exercises.

The Norwegian Coast Guard vessel Otto Svertrup made an official visit to Severomorsk, the main base of the Northern Fleet, from June 14 to June 17, 2010.

“One of the important tools for the timely resolution of issues in the region is the existing ‘hotline’ between the main operational command of the Norwegian Armed Forces and commanders of the Northern Fleet,” said the Russian Navy spokesman.