Pravda hails ratification of border treaty
Traditionally very sceptical to foreign policy compromises, but now communist newspaper Pravda applauds the Barents Sea delimitation deal with Norway.
“The resolution of the dispute with the Norwegians opens great perspectives in the development of the Arctic resources for Russia” writes Pravda in an article following the State Duma ratification of the delimitation treaty with Norway last Friday.
The newspaper argues that the lack of progress in the Barents Sea delimitation negotiations since the 80s’ was due to the fact that NATO member Norway for a long time had people in office who were not inclined to compromise with Russia. Then, things started to change when Jens Stoltenberg became Prime Minister in 2005, according to the view of Pravda’s reporters.
“Fortunately, the Norwegians were able to negotiate, and the potential anti-Russian block could be somewhat weakened” Pravda continues in its resume of the negotiation leading to the announcement of the agreement during President Dmitri Medvedev’s state visit to Oslo last April.
Pravda argues that unlike Norway, the other Arctic coastal states USA, Canada and Demark have repeatedly said that they would not give Russia an inch of the Arctic.
Debating ratification of the maritime delimitation treaty with Norway in the State Duma on Friday, the communist and nationalist bloc repeatedly argued that it would not be in Russian national interests. Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Leonid Kalashnikov said the treaty with Norway would not only hamper Russian fishing rights in the waters around Svalbard, but also “put a cross on the Shtokman field” as reported by BarentsObserver on Friday.
Pravda counter-argue Kalashnikov’s view, stating: “….However, this is a topic for another set of negotiations. In the meantime, the parties have resolved the issue of the disputed section of the area.”
Pravda ends its article by a quote from researcher Nikita Zagladin: “… such an agreement is also a starting point for further improvement of the relations between Russia and Norway in an environment where other Arctic countries are trying to divide oil and gas, pushing each other away. Uniting together, supporting each other, we could better defend our positions.”
