Russia leads the charge in the race for the Arctic

Russia is leading the charge in the race to exploit the vast oil and gas reserves under the Arctic.

Moscow is hosting an international conference on the future of the region where the shrinking ice cap is making exploration viable for the first time.

Other countries surrounding the Arctic are also laying claim to parts of the territory but a senior Kremlin advisor has vowed to put Russia's national interest first.

Richard Galpin reports.