Canada won't be 'bullied' by Russia's plans to protect Arctic interests: Cannon

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Canada won't be 'bullied' by Russia's plans to protect Arctic interests: Cannon

1 hour, 15 minutes ago

By Tobi Cohen, The Canadian Press

MONTREAL - Canada " will not be bullied " by Russia on Arctic sovereignty, Foreign

Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Friday amid reports the superpower is

planning to create a new military force to protect its interests in the area.

" Sovereignty is uppermost for us, " Cannon said after a speech on Canada's Arctic

strategy to an international relations group. " We will not be swayed from that.

" We want to be able to work on bilateral and multilateral forums on environment,

economic development, governance structures, etc. But let's be perfectly clear

here: Canada will not be bullied. "

Cannon said he will make Canada's position clear to Russia's foreign minister

when the two meet, possibly next week.

According to a Kremlin strategy paper signed by President Dmitry Medvedev last

fall and publicized in Russian media Friday, the country is seeking to

strengthen border guard forces in the region while creating a new military force

to " ensure military security under various military-political circumstances. "

The report indicates the Arctic, which is believed to contain as much as 25 per

cent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas, must become Russia's " top

strategic resource base " by the year 2020.

Now posted on the presidential Security Council's website, the report further

outlines Russia's policy for the Arctic. It includes plans to complete

geological studies by 2011 that prove Russia's claim to Arctic resources and

secure recognition for its Arctic borders.

The United Nations rejected Moscow's initial claim in 2001 due to a lack of

evidence but Russia is now seeking to prove its continental shelf extends to an

underwater mountain range that spans the polar region.

Canada, Russia, the United States and a number of Nordic European countries are

seeking to assert jurisdiction in the disputed territory which holds many

untapped natural resources.

A shrinking polar ice cap that has opened new shipping lanes as well as

opportunities to gain access to once-hidden resources has helped intensify the

dispute in recent months.

On Feb. 18, the day before U.S. President Barack Obama visited Canada, two

Russian Tupolev 95 bombers were turned away from Alaska and the Yukon about 200

kilometres from Canadian and U.S. airspace.

Prime Minister Harper later warned of " increasingly aggressive Russian

actions around the globe and Russian intrusions into our airspace. "

In Ottawa on Monday, a Russian diplomat said Canada reacted to the incident with

what he called a " deplorable " Cold War mentality.

Since Canada unveiled its strategy for the polar region in a 2007 throne speech,

the government has committed to strengthening Canada's own military

infrastructure.

It has created a military training centre in the region and beefed up the

capacity of Canada's Arctic Rangers.

Ottawa has also moved to increase the jurisdiction of Canadian environmental law

over northern waters and made it mandatory for foreign ships to register with

the Canadian Coast Guard.

In his speech Friday, Cannon stressed the need for stakeholder countries to work

together and he repeated calls to focus on the Arctic Council, the main

international forum on Arctic issues.

" The primary mission of the council is to provide for a way to promote

co-operation, co-ordination and good relations between Arctic states, as well as

the participation of First Nations and other Arctic stakeholders, " he said.

" We need to reinforce the exchange of best practices and institute a more

intense dialogue on questions of politics and co-ordination. "

He plans to discuss Arctic issues further when council members meet next month

in Norway. He also plans to address bilateral Arctic issues with U.S. Secretery

of State Hillary Clinton during a meeting April 6.

(With files from The Associated Press)