“Delineation deal in Barents Sea within reach”

Asked by a member of parliament, Minister Støre confirmed that “I believe that the actual conditions for a delineation deal, which both Norway and Russia can live with, is within reach” and that the issues remaining in the Norwegian-Russian negotiations are “not very demanding”, the Norwegian government website reports.

Mr. Støre has also previously said that Norway and Russia should be able to agree about how to divide the 175,000 square km disputed zone in the Barents Sea. Negotiations on the issue have been going on since the early 1970s.

-We have to find the right time, when both parts are politically ready for an agreement, he said in a response to a question from parliament deputy from the Conservative Party Mr. Finn Martin Vallersnes.

At the same time, Minister Støre stressed that Norway will not give in to time pressure in the issue, something which could hamper Norwegian interests.

The foreign minister admitted that the negotiations on the Norwegian-Russian disputed zone must be seen in the light of the ongoing mapping of the Arctic shelf. –This has very important implications for the whole order in the North. I can confirm […] that Norway works with the following up of legal processes which can strengthen our basic principle about the median line.

Norway has since the UN in the mid-1970s established 200 mile economic zones argued that the sea border to Russia should follow the median line. Russia on the other hand demands that the border follows the sector line.