Sechin called the Northern Sea Route an alternative to vulnerable logistics routes.

The Northern Sea Route is able to provide global trade with the necessary transport solutions against the background of risks for traditional logistics routes. This was stated by Igor Sechin, Executive Secretary of the Commission under the President of the Russian Federation for the development Strategy of the fuel and energy complex and environmental Safety, head of Rosneft, at the Energy Panel at SPIEF 2026.

Speaking with the report "The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning: what remains at the bottom of Pandora's box," Sechin noted that the development of the conflict in the Middle East has become a prerequisite for a global crisis. "In addition to oil and gas, a significant volume of global exports of other goods, such as fertilizers, passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Supply disruptions, as well as the lack of strategic reserves in these markets, increase the risk of a global food crisis," he said.

According to the head of Rosneft, fertilizer prices have increased by almost 60% in the first four months of this year, which will affect the cost of food in the next six months. The most vulnerable in this situation are India, the countries of Africa and Southeast Asia.

Sechin also said that other "bottlenecks" in global logistics could be at risk, including the Straits of Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb and Gibraltar, the Cape of Good Hope, the Danish and Turkish Straits, as well as the Suez and Panama Canals.

Speaking about possible solutions, he pointed to the potential of the Northern Sea Route. "We welcome attempts by some countries to create bypass routes, but from the point of view of the needs of world trade, the Arctic plays a special role," Sechin stressed, adding that not only its importance as a resource base, but also as a reliable logistics route is becoming strategic.

According to him, the use of the Northern Sea Route makes it possible to reduce cargo delivery times by 1.5–2 times and reduce transportation costs by 20-30%.