A defence expert says Russia’s new bid for a vast swath of Arctic territory, including the North Pole, backs Canada into an uncomfortable corner in future negotiations over the frozen region.
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In cases where the continental shelf extends beyond that limit, the law of the sea allows a country to claim dominion up to 350 nautical miles from its shores.
Russian Federation was the primary to submit its declare in 2002, however the United Nations despatched it again for lack of proof.
Russia’s foreign ministry said the fresh bid is backed by scientific data.
However, UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said the commission does not plan to meet until February or March, and it will be considered by all 193 UN member states.
The comment said that “as a foundation of the rights of Russian Federation in this area, an enormous amount of scientific data was used”.
Environmental groups are warning against a rush to develop the Arctic shipping route and extract the energy resources under the sea bed.
Russian Federation expects the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to start looking at its bid in the fall, the ministry said. “Unless we act together, this region could be dotted with oil wells and fishing fleets within our lifetimes.”.
He instead called on countries seeking jurisdiction over the portion of the Arctic to come together to protect the North Pole.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has since made securing Russian claims to the Arctic a top priority and expanded Moscow’s military presence there. The effort has included the restoration of a Soviet-era military base on the New Siberian Islands and other military outposts in the Arctic.
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Earlier this year, the military conducted sweeping manoeuvres in the Arctic that involved 38,000 servicemen, more than 50 surface ships and submarines and 110 aircraft. As a part of the drills, the army demonstrated its functionality to shortly beef up its forces on the Arctic Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land archipelagos.
