Vladimir Putin met with participants of the North Pole research expedition Artur Chilingarov and Anatolii Sagalevich at his residence.
Artur Chilingarov and Anatolii Sagalevich told Vladimir Putin about the descent of the Mir deep-water submersibles at the North Pole.
The President congratulated the expedition on its successful results. A unique experiment to take samples of flora and fauna at 4,261 metres underwater was conducted for the first time. The flag of the Russian Federation was planted at the geographical location of the North Pole on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.
The telegram that the Russian President sent to the participants of the Arctic 2007 research expedition, the crew of the Akademik Fedorov research vessel, and that of the Rossiia nuclear icebreaker reads, in part: the present generation of polar explorers are duly continuing the glorious tradition of the heroes and their precursors in the Arctic, contributing to the development of global science, and strengthening international cooperation.