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Europe

Putin visits Arctic archipelago to reaffirm Russian presence

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Russian President Vladimir Putin hood while visiting Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic, Russia, Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Russia has sought to strengthen its foothold in the Arctic amid intensifying rivalry for the region's rich natural resources between polar countries. (Sergei Karpukhin/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, shakes hands with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, as he visits Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic, Russia, Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Russia has sought to strengthen its foothold in the Arctic amid intensifying rivalry for the region's rich natural resources between polar countries.(Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    Russian President Vladimir Putin looks through a bus window while visiting Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic, Russia, Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Russia has sought to strengthen its foothold in the Arctic amid intensifying rivalry for the region's rich natural resources between polar countries. (Sergei Karpukhin/Pool Photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin is visiting an Arctic archipelago as part of Russia's efforts to reaffirm its foothold in the region.

Putin toured the Franz Josef Land archipelago, a cluster of 192 islands where the Russian military has recently built a new runway and worked to open a permanent base.

During Wednesday's trip, Putin inspected a cavity in a glacier that scientists use to study permafrost. He also spoke with environmental experts who have worked to clean the area of Soviet-era debris.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and other senior officials accompanied him.

The Kremlin has named reaffirming the Russian presence in the Arctic as a top priority amid an intensifying rivalry over the region that is believed to hold up to one-quarter of the planet's undiscovered oil and gas.