Representatives of the five countries bordering the Arctic Ocean meet in Greenland on Wednesday to discuss the impact of climate change and how to divide up its resources.
The summit is the first to be held at the ministerial level between the five countries.
Russia, Norway and Denmark will be represented at the meeting in Ilulissat in western Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, by their foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov, Jonas Gahr Støre and Per Stig Moeller respectively.
The United States will be represented by its deputy foreign policy chief John Negroponte, and Canada by its Minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn.
The five countries "want to cooperate on the basis of international law and use scientific data when making decisions about territory," Lavrov told reporters in Copenhagen on the eve of the gathering.
Greenland premier Hans Enoksen rejected Canada's claim to Hans Island, speaking
"We traditionally have already named the island 'The Kidney-Shaped Island' - before it was named as it is now. So should anyone have any claims prior, they would have named it already before we did," he said.
According to CanWest Global, Enoksen's firmly stated position on the ownership of Hans Island appeared to surprise Møller, who then laughed and said: "Now you know who owns it!"
The meeting begins at 7:30 am and is expected to conclude with a press conference at 2:45 pm.
The United Nations convention on the Law of the Sea gives countries that are signatories to the treaty the possibility of challenging claims of seabed sovereignty if they want to assert their claims beyond the 200-nautical-mile zone. They have 10 years to do so after ratifying the convention.
Officials meet in Ilulissat
Representatives of the five countries bordering the Arctic Ocean meet in Greenland today to discuss the impact of climate change and how to divide up its resources.
Published: 28.05.2008 12:40
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