The sovereignty issue regarding the Arctic Ocean is in regards to who gets to protect it since we are all going to be signators of The Kyoto Protocol.
It isn't about oil.
Its about saving the planet and humanity now in a void of dangerous proportion. The lack of participation by the USA in Kyoto has opened a void not easily breeched. That void will close and the 'safe keeping' of the land of the Polar Bear, Caribou (click here) and dense, flourishing fisheries will become the focus to all that is possible in returning an intact ICE CAP. We need the Arctic Ocean's cooling ability for habitable continents.
There is no war over drilling rights. That's nonsense and the next USA administation will have to address that in a Summit Agreement between all the countries involved.
...The progressive summertime opening of the Arctic (click here) has intensified a longstanding international tug of war over shipping routes and possible oil and gas deposits beneath the Arctic Ocean seabed. Last week, Russians planted a flag on the seabed at the North Pole. On Wednesday, Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, began a tour of Canada’s Arctic holdings, pledging “to vigorously protect our Arctic sovereignty as international interest in the region increases.”...
...In recent months, a Cold War-style game of imperial conquest (click here) has developed beneath the ice of the Arctic Ocean and the Northwest Passage, a submarine-driven dispute involving the United States, Norway, Denmark and especially Canada and Russia. Mr. Harper used this week's Throne Speech to signal the federal government was stepping up its presence in the Far North, pledging a bold and expensive military campaign to assert sovereignty over territory claimed by Canada, and areas of the Arctic that are still in dispute....
Moscow Asks to Stop Arctic War Intimidations (click title to entry, thank you)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 7:15 PM
(Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow - English) MOSCOW. Oct 22 (Interfax) - The talk about a possible military conflict for Arctic resources is baseless, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"Many alarmist assessments reach almost as far as the World War III in the struggle for Arctic resources. In our view, such assessments are excessive and sometimes provocative," Russian Foreign Ministry's special envoy Anton Vasilyev told a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
The region's problem will be solved on the basis of international law, in particular, Russia is currently preparing an application to expand the external borders of its continental shelf, said the Russian diplomat, but did not name the exact date of filing this application.
Even if Russia is allowed to expand the borders of its continental shelf, it will not mean that Russia will have total sovereignty over this entire zone.
"Article 76 of the International Convention on the Law of the Sea only stipulates the sovereignty to explore the seabed and mineral resources and the exclusive right to use the seabed and mineral resources. Pipes, cables can be built over this territory no problem, without a permit of respective nations, this zone is open to navigation," Vasilyev said.
The same applies to the fishing resources, he said.
"The state does not acquire any additional rights of control over the fishing resources," he said.
(c) 2008 Daily News Bulletin; Moscow - English. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 7:15 PM
(Source: Daily News Bulletin; Moscow - English) MOSCOW. Oct 22 (Interfax) - The talk about a possible military conflict for Arctic resources is baseless, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"Many alarmist assessments reach almost as far as the World War III in the struggle for Arctic resources. In our view, such assessments are excessive and sometimes provocative," Russian Foreign Ministry's special envoy Anton Vasilyev told a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday.
The region's problem will be solved on the basis of international law, in particular, Russia is currently preparing an application to expand the external borders of its continental shelf, said the Russian diplomat, but did not name the exact date of filing this application.
Even if Russia is allowed to expand the borders of its continental shelf, it will not mean that Russia will have total sovereignty over this entire zone.
"Article 76 of the International Convention on the Law of the Sea only stipulates the sovereignty to explore the seabed and mineral resources and the exclusive right to use the seabed and mineral resources. Pipes, cables can be built over this territory no problem, without a permit of respective nations, this zone is open to navigation," Vasilyev said.
The same applies to the fishing resources, he said.
"The state does not acquire any additional rights of control over the fishing resources," he said.
(c) 2008 Daily News Bulletin; Moscow - English. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
