No resources left in the Arctic to divvy up, official says

There are no more resources left in the Arctic to share out between countries, an official of Russian Foreign Ministry said at RAO / CIS Offshore 2013, PortNews correspondent reported.

Anton Vasiliev, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Russian envoy to the Arctic Council said that the information disseminated in the media about rivalry of world powers in the Arctic is a "horror story”, which is groundless. According to the official, more than 90% of natural resources of the Arctic are in the national waters of the neighboring countries, so there is “nothing left to share out". As for the clarifying the disputed shelf boundaries, Vasiliev said, the process itself helps bring together the countries rather than divide them.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry official acknowledged the growing military presence in the Arctic, but called the process objective and not directed against anyone, and caused primarily by ice melting and the need to protect the infrastructure.

"There is no reason in the Arctic for the emergence of any military and political alliances," said Anton Vasiliev.