«We are keeping this project in reserve. When the economic situation improves a little, we will definitely launch it,» the governor said. «These are times of sanctions pressure, so we need to wait a bit.»

Oleg Kozhemyako emphasized that such a project will remain relevant for a long time to come, because the supply of goods from Southeast Asia to the European part of Russia and to Belarus is «necessary, important, and will always be in demand».

«A port is a very serious undertaking, with significant costs. I think it’s all still ahead of us. We are keeping this project in reserve; we will not implement it without our partners from Belarus,» the governor added.

During previous visits by the Primorye governor to Minsk, plans were announced to create a joint port there as a vital hub on the transit route to China, which holds special interest in light of the Northern Sea Route’s development.