A cornerstone laying ceremony for the port Sabetta has been held on the Yamal Peninsula. The port construction is scheduled for August 2012, but the contractor has not yet been chosen - the results of the tender for contract were declared invalid. Now the Ministry of Transport proposes the government to appoint by its order a contractor. In its turn, Novatek is looking for a shipping company for the project

The northern regions of Russia are commonly considered as the least attractive places for tourists. However, the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions are actively developing cruise tourism and the number of those who would be willing to visit the North Pole and Franz Josef Land is constantly growing. Moreover, the Murmansk regional authorities are going to begin construction of a specialized cruise port.

FEMCO Company has published on its website answers regarding its M/V Alaed, chartered to transport refurbished helicopters and other repaired equipment intended for Syria.

The Black Sea region is becoming more dangerous for the shipping and stevedoring in terms of natural disasters risks, abnormal climatic changes, and other natural disasters. Environmentalists are also alarmed - the Black Sea is becoming more and more unpredictable.

The Russian State Duma approved in the third reading a bill that would regulate merchant shipping on the Northern Sea Route. Main innovation is the creation of the single NSR Authority (NSRA). The bill also does not stipulate fees for passage of the Northern Sea Route, but the situation may be changed subordinate legislation.

The State Corporation Rosatom has announced it would hold an open tender for contract for the construction of a flagship 60MW nuclear-powered icebreaker of new generation. In Russia, the most viable contractor to this order may be Baltic Shipyard, which represented by LLC Baltic Plant-Shipbuilding is preparing to submit an application for participation in the contest.

Management of icebreakers fleet at all freezing ports of Russia during the 2012-2013 winter navigation will be organized in new ways. The positive experience of icebreaking operations in the Gulf of Finland and a system of real-time monitoring of weather conditions and ice movement could be adopted at other ports.

While United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) is amid reshuffling of its top management, ambitious plans announced by the Corp., small enterprises and companies are successfully building new ships, including state-of-the-art ones.

Murmansk ice-free deep-water port, having great potential for development, has for several years been waiting for coming new investors and the implementation of new infrastructure projects. First Vice-Governor of Murmansk region Alexei Tyukavin told in an interview with PortNews when the region will commence the construction and modernization of marine terminals.

The Russian government has approved additions to the Program of privatization of state shares. In particular, we plan to sell 100% shares of "SCF", starting with a package of 25% negative equity. However, market conditions for the sale of the company currently does not look favorable.