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Russia to establish military forces for the Arctic
03/30/2009 |
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Russia intends to establish a separate military force to enhance security in the Russian part of the Arctic Ocean "under different military and political situations". FSB will get increased control over the region.
This is stated in a new strategy called "Principles for Russian politics in the Arctic in the period to 2020 and in a further perspective". The strategy envisages that the coast guard, which is subordinated to the Federal Security Service, should have stronger control over the Russian part of the Arctic.
The document also states the need for Russia to establish a general-purpose military force for operations in the Arctic.
Information that a Russian strategy for the Arctic was being developed came already last autumn. In January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the document was ready and would be published at the end of the month. But no publication came. Last week the document appeared on the Security Council's web site without any further notice, and was immediately placed together with older documents in the archive section, newspaper Kommersant reports.
The quiet publication coincided with Norway and Russia having a public verbal duel about the Arctic. In a meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers Jonas Gahr Støre and Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Lavrov expressed surprise that the Cold Response exercises being held in the Norwegian waters concentrate on operations in the event of deterioration in a conflict over access to resources.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will wait to comment on the Arctic strategy until it has been thoroughly studied, Kommersant reports.
Source: , photo: Russian Border Guard Soldiers (Barentsphoto)