Moscow protests Norway’s travel restrictions
© RIA Novosti. Mаksim Blinov

Moscow protests Norway’s travel restrictions

The Russian Foreign Ministry has protested Norway's decision to deport individuals on the UN Security Council's blacklist from the Spitsbergen (Svalbard) Archipelago and demanded that the restrictions be immediately lifted, RIA Novosti reported citing a statement by the Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department.

On August 7, Norway ordered the deportation from Spitsbergen of persons on the UN sanctions list and individuals subject to travel restrictions.

"The last category obviously refers to those who have fallen under the EU's anti-Russian sanctions. The Norwegian moves do not correspond to the spirit of international cooperation on Spitsbergen arising from the 1920 Spitsbergen Treaty. We strongly protest this unfriendly step and demand an immediate review of these restrictions," the statement said.

The ministry also said that Norway has no right to introduce rules limiting free access to the archipelago, as established by the Spitsbergen Treaty, without the consent of other parties to the treaty.