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| Onward and downward: Russian icebreaker Rossiya paved the way for the first-ever Arctic seabed exploration. Vladimir Chistyakov/Ria Novosti/AP/file |
As icecaps melt, Russia races for Arctic's resources
This week, it stakes territory in an internationally administered area said to contain vast oil and gas reserves.
from the July 31, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
"Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the Arctic: we either use it or lose it," Mr. Harper said. "And make no mistake, this government intends to use it."
Norway and Denmark (via Greenland) are also possible entrants. The US could claim Arctic territory adjacent to Alaska, but is hampered by Congress's failure so far to ratify the Law of the Sea Convention.
Three years ago, US lawmakers were already warning of the detrimental impact of failing to ratify the Convention. In a May 2004 speech advocating ratification, Sen. Richard Lugar (R) of Indiana – then chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – told his audience at Washington's Brookings Institute that the UN "will soon begin making decisions on claims to continental shelf areas that could impact the United States' own claims to the area and resources of our broad continental margin."
He specifically mentioned Russia's ambitions, as well.
"Russia is already making excessive claims in the Arctic," said Senator Lugar. "Unless we are party to the Convention, we will not be able to protect our national interest in these discussions."
Possible disputes in future
Some experts are concerned about the potential for future conflict over Arctic territory and resources, and the Russian media highlighted reports of a "US spy plane" that allegedly shadowed the North Pole expedition this week. But others say that existing international law is adequate to enable boundaries of influence to be negotiated between the key players as global warming unlocks the north's treasures.
"I don't see why this issue should worsen relations between Russia and other countries," says Pavel Zolotaryov, deputy director of the official Institute of USA-Canada Studies in Moscow. "We can solve our differences on the basis of information. And [after this expedition], Russia will be able to say that we've been there and conducted the research" to bolster Russia's territorial claims in the region.
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