Russia’s Lavrov attacks Norway, says relations on Svalbard should be better
The setting was Barents Cooperation and cross-border interaction, but it was Arctic militarization and Norwegian policy at Svalbard which became the key issues in today’s press conference following the Barents Euro-Arctic Council meeting.
In what appeared as a well-prepared answer, the Russian foreign minister lashed out against his Norwegian counterpart.
Relations in Spitsbergen could clearly have been much more constructive, he underlined. Russian legitimate rights in the area are periodically being restricted, he added.
«The Russian MFA last year submitted two diplomatic notes about Svalbard to the Norwegian side, but no response has been made,» Lavrov complained.
«We have on several occasions called for dialogue over these issues, but the Norwegians do not respond. I believe this does not correspond with good neighbourly relations», he underlined.
The statements come after newspaper Kommersant recently published a report shedding light on strategic document from the Russian Ministry of Defense allegedly highlighting the archipelago as a potential conflict area.
Disagreement over Svalbard Treaty
According to Lavrov, Norway is illegitimately restricting Russian company Arktikugol and its flying with helicopters in the archipelago, and also the development of Russian research and tourism activities in the area.
He also complained about the local Norwegian tax regime, which reportedly does not allow the local Russians to spend collected taxes for their own purposes in Barentsburg, the Russian-dominated local settlement.
«We are talking about very concrete issues, about Russians in the area engaging in activities permitted by the Svalbard Treaty.”
The treaty from 1920 gives Norway full sovereignty over the archipelago, but signatory states are allowed to engage in economic activities. The Russians have since the early 1930s operated coal mines in the area and is currently in the process of building up local research and tourism facilities.
Norwegian sovereignty
«Norway is complying to every comma in the Svalbard Treaty,» Børge Brende responded. «This is a part of Norway and that should not be questioned,» he underlined.
«But we are taking great effort to make Svalbard the best managed Arctic archipelago in the world, and that concerns also environment.»
Beyond that, the Norwegian foreign minister said he was not much interested in using the press conference to discuss Svalbard. The issue is highly sensitive. And it was Brende’s last day as foreign minister. After four years in the post, he now leaves Norway to become president in the World Economic Forum
Enhanced military presence in Finnmark
The Russian critical words against Norway did not stop with Svalbard. According to the Russian foreign minister, there are worries in Moscow also about Norway’s stronger military emphasis on Finnmark, the country’s northernmost region.
«Yes, we are of course concerned about the buildup of troops and the stronger role of Nato in the region,» Lavrov said.
«We see this as part of a carefully planned strategy directed against Russia.»
«Considering the fact that we are neighbours, we would have expected otherwise,» he underlined
However, at the same time, earlier the same day, Lavrov praise the regional government of Finnmark for its friendly and cooperative approach to neighbouring Russia. Finnmark this week took over the chair of the Barents Regional Council, a cooperation body including the northern territories of Norway, Russia, Finland and Sweden.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Agreement soon on high Arctic fishing in international waters?, Radio Canada International
Iceland: Iceland blasts Arctic Five for exclusion from fishing agreement, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Deal protects Arctic waters around Svalbard, Norway from fishing, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Foreign Ministers line up for Barents talks in Arkhangelsk, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Record numbers for Swedish wild salmon, Radio Sweden
United States: Fishing ban in international Arctic waters remains elusive, Alaska Dispatch News
