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Russia and Canada bicker over Arctic seabed
Published: 16 September, 2010, 13:15
Edited: 20 September, 2010, 06:21
TAGS: Natural resources, Meeting, Arctic, Russia
The future of the Arctic was debated in Moscow, where the foreign ministers of Russia and Canada have just held talks following Ottawa's announcement it will challenge Moscow's claim to parts of the Arctic seabed.
Both countries remain firm in their positions, claiming that part of the Arctic seabed known as the Lomonosov Ridge belongs to each one of them.
Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon says Ottawa has challenged Moscow for the hydrocarbon-rich parts of the Arctic seabed. According to Cannon, the underwater territory Russia claims as its own actually belongs to Canada.
Moscow, on the other hand, claims that the area in question – the Lomonosov Ridge, which reaches out into the floor of the Arctic Ocean – is part of Russia’s continental shelf.
“The Lomonosov Ridge was discovered by Russian explorers, but today we want to prove scientifically that it is a continuation of our main land. We are providing our data to the UN, as is Canada. And now Denmark is also thinking about laying claim to the Lomonosov Ridge. But any such claim must be based on a scientific data provided to the UN commission – and they have the last word in any case,” Sergey Lavrov stated.
In turn, Canada says that the Lomonosov Ridge belongs to its territory. The country’s foreign minister said that establishing itself in the Arctic is one of the key foreign policies of Canada.
Lawrence Cannon expressed confidence that “We will submit our data on the Lomonosov Ridge and we are confident that our case will prevail, backed by scientific evidence.”
In 2007, an expedition of Russian scientists dived several thousand meters on to the floor of the ridge and planted a Russian flag there, but the United Nations did not deem this valid proof of the country’s territorial boundaries.
Canada, which sees increasing its influence in the Artic as a major goal, is also doubtful of the claim.
“Let me make it quite clear: Canada will be quite active in defending its territory. We quite clearly have, as a government, determined that it is important to exercise our sovereignty through our defense mechanisms, through our military presence, but as well through international law. And we have agreed with our international partners that, as we extend the continental shelf, it will be science-based,” Cannon told a press conference in Moscow.
At the moment the huge Arctic territory is considered to belong to neither of the countries. As oil prices are growing, the strategic importance of the region, believed to hold 20% of the global oil and gas reserves, is growing too.
Many countries are planning to send their bid for a piece of the Arctic to the United Nations in the next few years. Besides Russia and Canada, among them are Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, the United States, Denmark, and the list is bound to grow.
Edward Struzik, a Canadian Arctic researcher, says that so far the territorial disputes are peaceful, but the situation is very dynamic.
“When you have that much money at stake, those kinds of resources at stake, and something happens with the world economy – economies can collapse, they can get into trouble, you can get different world leaders with different approaches to these issues – then anything can happen,” he told RT.
An optimistic example is the recent meeting in Moscow, where Norway and Russia were finally able to resolve their 40-year territorial dispute in the Barents Sea.
16.09.2010, 11:51
2 comments
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Survival of the fittest is the Battle of the Ages. The Cold War is over??? Now we are fighting for the precious commodities that will mean the very surival of our seperate countries. Russia is fighting for its very existence. Economic confrontations with countries like China and the United States and Japan threaten the very core of Russia's future political and economic power ... if any ... Russia is making friends with those coutries that are of significant importance to their existance in the future. A country like Iran ... could be a tremendous Nuclear threat in the future. Russia can use its relationship with Iran as a power position. This power position is related to how Iran will be able to create its Nuclear Weapons. The question will be can Russia control how Iran will use their future weapons of mass distruction? If used will the middle East be destroyed along with the surrounding countries ... including the fringes of Mother Russia? Oil is nothing in comparison to the Nuclear Wasteland that will be created if Russia permits Iran to produce the necessary nuclear fuel to create The Most Destructive power in the immediate area surrounding Iran? Good luck Mother Russia and be very careful what you ask for because you just might get it.
Canada wants to "establish itself" on the Arctic? And when did this thought occur to Canada? There is a colonial mentality that seems to come natural to some cultures. Just because they "want" to "establish themselves" is good enough. Never mind the law and proofs. This planet would be so much better off if at least some laws are respected. UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea has been ratified by the virtue of majority UN members signing up. Canada has no more nor less rights then anybody else. They need to provide geological evidence that Lomonsov ridge is geologically part of their mainland. What has "establishing itself" got to do with it?
You can bet contesting Russia's claim wasn't Canada's or Denmark's idea..The usual NATO mafia is behind this Cold War bully tactic ...and no doubt the idea was hatched by an x-cia goon from some Baltic nation 'consulting' for the State Dept..