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Russian Navy resumes military presence near Spitsbergen
Russian Navy modernized (Image gallery)
MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Navy has resumed a military
presence around the Arctic Ocean archipelago of Spitsbergen, which belongs to
Norway, a navy statement said on Monday.
"Russia's fleet has resumed a warship presence in the Arctic, including in the
area of Spitsbergen," the statement said.
Russia does not recognize Norway's exclusive right to the 200-mile economic
zone near Spitsbergen.
The statement also said that "the large ASW ship, Severomorsk, has already
entered the area to fulfill its tasks." It will be joined, starting from July
17, by the Marshal Ustinov, a Russian Slava-class missile cruiser.
According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an
exclusive economic zone extends for 200 nautical miles (370 km) beyond the
baselines of a country's territorial sea.
A coastal nation has control of all economic resources within its exclusive
economic zone, including fishing, mining and oil exploration.
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