ARKHANGELSK, August 13. /TASS/. India could become the primary buyer of Arctic liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipped via the Northern Sea Route (NSR), Yekaterina Serova, Director of the International Department of the Arctic Development Project Office, told TASS.

"Given its commodity demand structure, India is an ideal candidate to become a key buyer of specifically Arctic LNG," she said on the sidelines of the Arctic-Regions forum.

According to Serova, the existing cargo traffic structure of the Northern Sea Route aligns with the main commodity categories India is interested in. More than a third of NSR traffic consists of LNG shipments, about a quarter is general cargo, and another 15-20% is oil. She also noted that Arc7 ice-class Yamalmax tankers have already completed voyages along both the western and eastern routes of the NSR, including independent passages without icebreaker assistance.

The Northern Sea Route is the main sea line in the Russian Arctic. Spanning from the Kara Strait to Providence Bay, it is 5,600 km long.

The 4th Arctic-Regions Forum is taking place August 13-14 in Arkhangelsk. TASS is the general media partner.