Russia submits claim for vast Arctic seabed territories at United Nations – National Post
MOSCOW — Russia has submitted its bid for vast territories in the Arctic to the United Nations, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry said in a statement that Russia is claiming 1.2 million square kilometres of Arctic sea shelf extending more than 350 nautical miles about 650 kilometres from the shore.
Russia, the U.S., Canada, Denmark and Norway have all been trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, which is believed to hold up to a quarter of the planet’s undiscovered oil and gas. Rivalry for Arctic resources has intensified as shrinking polar ice is opening new opportunities for exploration.
Canada has not yet wrapped up its final claim to areas of the Arctic Ocean now considered international waters, although it is rumoured that Ottawa’s submission will include 1.7 million square kilometres of ocean, including the North Pole.
