RUSSIAN NAVY RESUMES MILITARY PRESENCE NEAR SPITSBERGEN
RIA Novosti
15:25 | 14/ 07/ 2008
The Russian Navy has resumed a military presence around the Arctic
Ocean archipelago of Spitsbergen, which belongs to Norway, a navy
statement said on Monday.
"Russia’s fleet has resumed a warship presence in the Arctic, including
in the area of Spitsbergen," the statement said.
Russia does not recognize Norway’s exclusive right to the 200-mile
economic zone near Spitsbergen.
The statement also said that "the large ASW ship, Severomorsk, has
already entered the area to fulfill its tasks." It will be joined,
starting from July 17, by the Marshal Ustinov, a Russian Slava-class
missile cruiser.
According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,
an exclusive economic zone extends for 200 nautical miles (370 km)
beyond the baselines of a country’s territorial sea.
A coastal nation has control of all economic resources within its
exclusive economic zone, including fishing, mining and oil exploration.