Expert: We are in for a tough fight over the Arctic’s status
© RIA Novosti. Vera Kostamo

Expert: We are in for a tough fight over the Arctic’s status

In the future Russia may have to contend with the intentions of the United States and other countries to internationalize the Arctic like Antarctica, believes En Un Kim, Leading Research Fellow of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of  Far Eastern Studies.

"We are in for a tough fight over the Arctic's status. As you know, the United States insists on internationalizing the Arctic like Antarctica. I am not against cooperation but the Artic should not have the same status as the Antarctic because we have mineral resources there, people living there, as well as military aims," he said at the conference International Cooperation in the Arctic: New Challenges and Vectors of Development.

En Un Kim said historically the region has been divided into sectors of Arctic states. "It should not be allowed that all countries take part in developing Arctic resources or seize parts of its territory," he said.

"Russia and the United States do not face major differences or contradictions in the Arctic. The Americans have many more problems with the Canadians regarding the status of the Northwest Passage," said session moderator Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) Andrei Kortunov after delivering his report.

The conference, International Cooperation in the Arctic: New Challenges and Vectors of Development, is being held in Moscow on October 12-13. It will be attended by Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov, Special Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic Arthur Chilingarov, Chairman of the Ferring Pharmaceuticals Board of Directors Frederik Paulsen, Arctic Council officials from Russia, Norway and Iceland, officials from Denmark and Canada and other representatives of relevant ministries and departments, big business, and leading experts of the Arctic Council member states and observers.