Russia to beat Canada in Arctic shipping: France
Ships will prefer passing through northern Russia as ice continues to melt Russian Arctic shipping routes would attract more traffic than Canada's Northwest Passage - both made increasingly accessible by melting polar ice - a French envoy predicted Monday."I have the impression that Canada has given up on the competition to attract a large part of the traffic in 25 or 30 years," said France's roving ambassador for polar regions Michel Rocard.The former French prime minister spoke to AFP in Montreal after a tour of the Arctic aboard the Canadian icebreaker Amundsen."The road eastward along the Siberian coast is less winding (than the Northwest Passage in Canada's north) . . . there are fewer islands (to navigate around) and finally, it has fewer risks and is more direct, even if it's a bit longer," he said.Russia currently requires that any vessel or convoy travelling along its northern frontier be accompanied by two icebreakers, Rocard said.But U.S. researchers have said global warming could leave the region ice-free by 2030.Canada is "too small to finance itself the infrastructure" needed to spur commercial shipping through in its Arctic - a shorter route between European and Asian markets than the Suez and Panama canals.Russia ...
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