Student Debates on the Role of Global South Countries in Arctic Development Held in Moscow

«Global South Countries Reaching for the Arctic: Partners or New Competitors» was the theme of the meeting held on October 27, 2026, at the «Youth of Moscow» venue as part of BRICS Project Lab Arctic 3.0 – a youth project laboratory organized by the Scientific Student Society of MGIMO University of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Expert Center «Arctic Development Project Office» (PORA).

Participants split into six teams, each defending opposing positions – «for» and «against» – within a given thematic track. The discussion covered three key areas: transport and logistics, energy resources and security, and financial transactions and the BRICS architecture.

Students working on the first track examined the prospects of the Northern Sea Route as a commercially viable year-round alternative to the Suez Canal and the Strait of Malacca by 2035. Participants also discussed whether integrating the NSR with the International North–South Transport Corridor and the Chennai–Vladivostok corridor would require a shift from national regulation to a joint tariff and management system on the BRICS platform.

The second block was devoted to energy and supply security. Students assessed the role of long-term investments in Arctic oil and gas and LNG production projects for the energy security of India, China, and other countries. The discussion centered on the balance between hydrocarbon resources and critical minerals, as well as the impact of sanctions restrictions on access to gas liquefaction technologies.

The third track covered the financial infrastructure of international trade. Participants discussed whether settlements in national currencies and BRICS digital clearing platforms could finance Arctic trade operations without the use of the dollar and euro. Another topic was the possibility of creating new mechanisms for marine insurance, including a BRICS reinsurance pool, independent ship classification standards, and the development of shipbuilding.

The debates were moderated by Dr. Abhijit Singh, Associate Professor at the Law Institute of RUDN University. The working language of the event was English.

«The Arctic is increasingly seen by Global South countries as a space of opportunities – in logistics, energy, and finance. At the same time, realizing these opportunities requires, in addition to investment and technological solutions, an understanding of legal, economic, and geopolitical constraints and ways to overcome them. It is important that young people from different countries and different cultures discuss these issues substantively, present arguments, and are ready to listen to their opponents. The debates became a platform for discussing possible scenarios for the participation of Southeast Asian countries in Arctic development and for the development of international ties in the region,» noted Ekaterina Serova, Director of the International Relations Department at the PORA Expert Center.