There is no need for a military presence in the oil and gas-rich Arctic region, said Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Barents Euro-Arctic session in the northern Russian city of Murmansk.
He added that attempts to provoke tension in the region are careless and counterproductive.“Any problem of the Arctic could be solved by peaceful dialogue and cooperation,” he said in a speech at the opening of the Murmansk forum on Thursday.
According to the Russian FM, “new potential capabilities and questions interconnected with the Arctic, like climate change and new technologies development, is a factor that must unite, not separate the Arctic states.”
The stakes are high, as the area is believed to be one of the world's biggest untapped energy reserves, and Norway, Denmark, Finland, Russia, the US and Canada all want a slice.
“We are holding talks with Norway and we were able to reach an agreement on one of the disputed areas, and it has already come into effect,” Sergey Lavrov said.
Countries with a deep interest in the oil and gas-rich Arctic region are gathering in the Russian city of Murmansk. They're known as the “Barents Sea nations” and this body brings together all Nordic countries, Russia and the European Commission.
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