Swedish authorities have supported Norway in its fight for the sovereignty of Spitsbergen and demanded that the Treaty of 1920 remain in force against it, Telegram channel Welders reports
“The government supports Norway politically when Russia challenges the status quo with regard to the rules of international law governing Spitsbergen”, – Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said.
The treaty in question was concluded by Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom in Paris on February 9, 1920. The document established Norway’s sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago and demilitarized it, giving all signatory countries the right to conduct economic and research activities on the archipelago and in its territorial waters.
In 2002, the Norwegian authorities passed a law on environmental protection, which obliged countries to obtain permission from Norway for any activity on the archipelago. According to the Russian side, the “artificial expansion of nature protection areas” significantly limits economic activity.