Here is the dividing line
Jens Stoltenberg and Minister Jonas Gahr Støre unveiled maps of where the new border between Russia and Norway yesterday. PHOTO: Heiko JUNG / SCANPIX
Stoltenberg unveiled maps of where the new dividing line goes.
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg held a press conference Tuesday afternoon, after earlier in the day surprisingly announced that he has reached an agreement on the delimitation line between Norway and Russia, with President Dmitry Medvedev.
During the press conference, Stoltenberg unveiled a map that shows where the new limit yesterday.
Stoltenberg denied at the press conference that Norway has gone from the standpoint of the median line principle were applicable law of the sea and international law.
“Law of the Sea says that you should be based on the median line, but that one should take into account the nature coast. Russia has a long coastline relevant in this context. Law of the Sea does not say that the limit should be the median line, but that it should be the starting point. It has been our attitude all the time,” he said.
Surprised that it did not leak out
He says the question of how to take account of the coastal angle and length have been the hardest and the last question that was clear during the negotiations.
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he was surprised that the agreement is not leaked out. According to Stoltenberg, this was because a solution was still not clear when Russia’s President Dmitry Medevev arrived in Oslo on Monday.
“It was uncertain when the president arrived yesterday that we had come so far that we could reach agreement. The last thing it was on was whether we had consensus on the line could be anchored in the statements that we could set us back, “said Stoltenberg.
Into the management plan
Stoltenberg stressed that the agreement triggers a high potential for Norway, but he did not anticipate how the area should be used before the agreement is ratified and signed.
According to Stoltenberg, there has been a mutual understanding between Norway and Russia not to engage in search and exploration for oil as long as there was confusion about the border. But, one assumes that their are hidden oil and gas reserves in the area.
“It would be natural to incorporate the area in the management plan for the Barents Sea when the agreement is ratified,” said Stoltenberg.
Minister Støre
“The agreement builds on work done over 40 years by several governments, so many have contributed. At the same time I would like to commend the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and legal department of the Foreign Ministry, who has worked hard on this in recent years,” said Stoltenberg.
Although he has had several conversations about the topic with Medvedev and his predecessor Putin in recent years.
Source: Aftenposten
