Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

5 nations chart Arctic course

|
|
 
  
Published: May 29, 2008 at 12:54 AM

ILULISSAT, Greenland, May 29 (UPI) -- The five nations bordering the Arctic region Wednesday outlined how they will deal with oil and mineral exploration, the environment and other issues there.

Meeting in Ilulissat, Greenland, the representatives of Canada, Russia, the United States, Norway and Denmark issued the Illulissat Declaration, which intones that the Arctic Ocean "stands at the threshold of significant changes," Canwest News Service reported.

"Climate change and the melting of ice have a potential impact on vulnerable ecosystems, the livelihoods of local inhabitants and indigenous communities, and the potential exploitation of natural resources," the group's document said. "By virtue of their sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in large areas of the Arctic Ocean, the five coastal states are in a unique position to address these possibilities and challenges."

The document goes on to say the nations oppose any international attempt to govern the Arctic polar region, along the lines of Antarctica.

In a statement, The New York Times reported, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller said the five nations have "politically committed" to resolve their differences in the region through negotiations.

"And thus we have hopefully, once and for all, killed all the myths of a 'race to the North Pole.' The rules are in place. And the five states have now declared that they will abide by them," Moller said.

Topics: Stig Moller
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 25
Meryl Streep and Colin Firth attend the "BAFTA" ceremony in London
View Caption
fark
It's a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand
Baby shower ends with three people stabbed after a drunken argument between relatives of mom-to-be...
"Man charged with exposing himself to women while riding bike" which really is a lot harder than...
Florida man ran into his ex-girlfriend yesterday. Then he backed up and ran into her again. He misses...
Adam Adamowicz, concept artist for Fallout and Skyrim, passes away after losing his fight against...
If you are Australia's most notorious hired gun, brag about having killed 19 people, and go by the...