Norway stated unwillingness to quarrel with Russia over visiting Rogozin Svalbard – Sight

The Norwegian authorities did not want to aggravate relations with Russia because of the visit of the Spitsbergen archipelago Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, said the head of the Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende after a meeting with Russian Ambassador Vyacheslav Pavlovsky.

«We have no intention to aggravate the situation. Nevertheless, today in an interview with the Russian ambassador, we clearly stated that the defendants do not want to see the sanctions lists in Norway, including the territory of Svalbard (Spitsbergen). We expect that Russia as our good neighbor will act accordingly, “- said Brenda, reports Tass.

According to Brenda, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom as” take all necessary steps to make clear the fact that the effect of the restrictive measures will also apply to the territory of Svalbard (Spitsbergen) ».

On Sunday, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry has asked the Russian embassy clarification in connection with visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, the Svalbard archipelago. Russian Foreign Ministry, in turn, called the reaction Norway absurd.

Rogozin arrived on Svalbard on Saturday, where the expedition started in the North Pole. There Rogozin Sunday, Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukayev and Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoi took part in the opening ceremony of the Russian Arctic drifting station “North Pole – 2015».

Then they helicopters landed on the ice at the North Pole and temporarily set the stele-pointer. Rogozin held at the North Pole about half an hour. Together with the whole team, he was photographed at this point with the Russian flag, banner of Victory, St. Andrew’s flag, and the flag of the Military Historical Society.

Recall Spitsbergen, which Norwegians call Svalbard, located in the Arctic Ocean between 76 th and 80 th parallels. He was placed under the sovereignty of the Scandinavian kingdom after World War I, subject to preserve his special international status. Spitsbergen Treaty, signed in 1920, secured Norway’s sovereignty over the archipelago, but all parties to the treaty, and that more than 50 states have equal rights to exploit its resources. Nevertheless, economic presence in Svalbard today support only Norway and Russia.