Norway Successfully Cooperates With Russia in Arctic Despite Tensions

Norway and Russia continue to successfully cooperate in the Arctic despite the cooling in political relations between the countries, Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Borge Brende said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Norway was one of the Western countries that has imposed sanctions against Russia over the country's alleged role in the Ukrainian internal crisis, a claim Moscow has repeatedly denied.

"We keep friendly cooperation traditions with Russia in the Arctic. Some weeks ago I held a very productive discussion with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on possibilities of the further development of this cooperation," Brende told reporters.

Brende's statement was made before the opening of the Conference on Global Leadership in Anchorage, Alaska, which gathered delegates from 20 countries to discuss climate change challenges and cooperation in the ecologically and geopolitically sensitive region, on August 30-31.

Earlier in August, Russia submitted a revised bid to the United Nations, seeking to enlarge its share of the Arctic continental shelf, to include the Lomonosov Ridge, the Mendeleev Ridge and other continental elevations.

Denmark, Canada, the United States, and Norway have also expressed interest in the region that has high oil and natural gas potential.