Russia today filed for recognition of its claims over the Arctic - stating that its territorial claim over the continental shelf extends beyond the Pole. The matter now rests with the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, which has been called upon to decide.
It will now be up to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to decide if Russia should be entitled to include the huge additional areas under its sovereignty. The Commission confirms that “the consideration of the partial revised submission made by the Russian Federation will be included in the provisional agenda of the next ordinary session”, the Commission website informs.
The Barents Observer broke the news today.
Denmark and Canada have also staked claims, and a number of other nations are also claiming rights in the Arctic, as climate change is making a previously inaccessible region attractive for exploitation.
If approved, the Russian claim will expand the country’s territory by 1.2 million square kilometers. Estimates indicate that the area include 594 oil fields and 159 gas fields as well as two major nickel fields and more than 350 gold deposits. Initial recoverable fuel resources are estimated to 258 billion tons of fuel equivalent, representing 60 percent of Russia’s total hydrocarbon resources.
Norway's major newspaper predicts that "a battle for the Arctic is coming, it remains to be seen when and how extensive it will be." (Google translate)