The Russian Embassy in Norway said that Oslo was violating its obligations under the Svalbard agreement.

“Svalbard has accumulated problems. Due to the fact that our concerns were ignored (the ministers of our countries discussed them, including during the negotiations in Kirkenes in October 2019), Russian Foreign Minister S.V. Lavrov had to send a corresponding message to the Norwegian Foreign Minister I.M. Eriksen Soreyd, ” the message said.

The mission also added that “the legal regime established by the Svalbard Treaty of 1920 extends to the continental shelf of the archipelago.” Norway violates its obligations under this agreement by transferring sections located within the scope of the agreement “to the rounds for the distribution of licenses for the development of oil and gas resources on the continental shelf”. As a result, “Russian companies are deprived of the opportunity to participate in filing applications for promising areas.” A similar situation exists in the field of mineral resources extraction.

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The diplomatic mission called on Norway to “bring Norway’s policy regarding regulation of activities in the area of ​​the agreement into line with its international obligations,” proposing negotiations and consultations to resolve the situation.