Official: India eyes Russian Arctic LNG purchases

India is considering purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia's Arctic region as the two countries seek to deepen energy and logistics cooperation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said.

In an interview with the Development of the Arctic and the Far East portal, Rudenko said energy cooperation has remained the cornerstone of bilateral ties for decades, with Indian companies already involved in several major Russian oil and gas projects.

"India has long focused its cooperation on the joint development of oil and gas fields. The Indian side is actively involved in the operations of Vankorneft, Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha and the Sakhalin-1 project, and is considering purchases of liquefied natural gas produced in the Russian Arctic," he said.

Rudenko noted that Moscow and New Delhi adopted a programme in 2024 covering trade, economic and investment cooperation in Russia's Far East for 2024–2029, alongside principles for cooperation in Russia's Arctic zone.

He said the two countries also see strong potential for expanding logistics links.

According to Rudenko, both sides are exploring ways to increase cargo traffic along the Vladivostok–Chennai maritime corridor and are studying opportunities for joint development of the Northern Sea Route.

He added that work is underway to establish the necessary legal framework. A memorandum signed in December 2025 provides for the training of specialists to work aboard vessels operating in polar waters, while another agreement on cooperation in cargo shipping along the Northern Sea Route is expected to be signed next.

By Aghakazim Guliyev