Countries like Russian Federation, the U.S., Norway, Denmark, Canada have been trying to push their boundaries over the parts of the Arctic sea, which is holding a quarter of the Earth’s undiscovered oil and gas reserves.
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The Russian government announced that it had delivered “ample scientific data” to the United Nations to back its claim to more than 1 million square kms of Arctic territory and the wealth of energy, gems and precious metals believed to lie within.
“Submitting the claim to the commission is an important step in formulating Russia’s right to the Arctic Shelf in accordance with the United Nations convention on the Law of the Sea”.
The Arctic rush carries considerable climate risks, campaigners say.
He urged countries seeking jurisdiction over the Arctic to work together to create a protected sanctuary around the North Pole.
The statement said Russian Federation expects the U.N.to begin considering its claim at a fall meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
“Given that there is no plenary during the upcoming 39th session… the revised submission will be included in the provisional agenda for the the 40th session of the Commission to be held in February/March 2016”, Haq said, adding that the exact dates will be determined in late December.
In 2007, Moscow symbolically dropped a canister containing a Russian flag on the Arctic Ocean floor from a submarine at the North Pole.
The Kremlin announced last week the rolling out of a new military doctrine in which it plans to strengthen its naval forces in the Arctic, which will include a new fleet of icebreakers.
A Soviet-era military base on the New Siberian Islands has been restored and other outposts in the region have been beefed up.
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Earlier this year, the military conducted sweeping manoeuvres in the Arctic that involved 38,000 servicemen, over 50 surface ships and submarines, and 110 aircraft. As part of the drills, the military demonstrated its capability to quickly beef up its forces on the Arctic Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land archipelagos.
