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UN commission could decide
on Russian Artic bid in 3 years
RIA
Novosti
Friday Aug 31, 2007
A Russian member of a United Nations Commission on the Limits
of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) said the commission could decide
on Russia's claim for a large portion of the Arctic shelf in three
years.
In 2001, Russia stated it was entitled to an extra 1.2 million
square kilometers (460,000 square miles) of the Arctic, claiming
underwater ridges are a continuation of its shelf. The UN demanded
more evidence. The issue came to the fore in early August after
Russian researchers made the first-ever dive below the North Pole
in two mini-submarines, taking rock samples from the seabed to
corroborate the claims.
"I believe that in three years, Russia will manage to provide
all the necessary evidence for its claims to the Lomonosov and
Mendeleyev ridges, and consequently, the commission will be able
to make a final decision," Yury Kazmin said.
The CLCS represents 21 countries. It was set up to facilitate
delineation beyond a 322-km (200-mile) economic zone that Russia,
the United States, Canada, Norway, and Denmark have in the Arctic
under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
(Article continues below)
Kazmin said the data obtained by this summer's expedition was
a tangible advance towards possession of the territory believed
to contain natural gas, oil, tin, gold, and other natural resources,
likely to become accessible in future decades due to man-made
global warming.
As well as collecting geological samples, the explorers planted
a titanium Russian flag on the seabed, 4,200 meters (14,000 feet)
below the surface in a symbolic gesture that irritated Canada,
which has claimed part of the Arctic shelf since 1925. A Canadian
diplomat mockingly said Russia was setting up shelf borders using
15th century flag-planting methods, an allegation echoed by the
United States.
"The planting of the flag has provoked not only active interest,
but speculation. We should point out that under the Convention,
fixing a flag gives no legal right to the shelf. Russia's position
is the same," Kazmin said.
The official said obtaining evidence for the claims was extremely
difficult under the Arctic conditions considering that one expedition
cost at least $10 million.
He added that protracted consideration of Russia's bid was primarily
due to Russia's failure to submit depth research data to the commission,
which is secret information used for military purposes. "This
is confidential information that our, U.S. and other submarines
use for navigation," Kazmin said.
The CLCS has started its regular session this week. Besides the
Russian bid, it still has to consider six territorial claims to
other shelves.
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