At SPIEF, Aleksey Chekunkov, Aleksey Likhachev and Vladislav Kuznetsov signed an agreement to initiate a pilot project for a unified maritime northern supply operator, as reported by TASS citing the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic's press service.

'The operator will conduct regular cabotage shipments of northern supply goods between seaports at preferential rates. The route and schedule will be approved by the federal northern supply coordinator—the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic,' reports the statement.

According to the Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, essential goods are primarily transported to northern territories by water transport. Delivery to certain districts is only possible for a few weeks each year. Implementing a pilot project in Chukotka in 2025, a region highly dependent on limited navigation periods, will enable precise adjustments to this system's operations.

'Signing this agreement marks a significant step towards enhancing Chukotka's cargo delivery system,' the minister stated. 'I'll point out two key aspects. Firstly, there will be enough fleet capacity to transport necessary goods to the district. This will provide us with a three-year planning horizon. The second aspect concerns logistics costs. The agreement specifies that freight costs will only be adjusted annually based on inflation rates. We aim to stabilise not just the delivery system but also its costs,' quoted from the governor's press service of Chukotka Autonomous Area.