Will Russia get thousands of kilometers of the bottom of the Sea of Okhotsk?
As Alexander Gasyuk writes ("Russian newspaper"), the government delegation on Friday will formally submit to the UN an application for the continental shelf under the Sea of Okhotsk. If successful 56000 square. km of the seabed in the spring of next year to become the territory of Russia.
Recently, Russian experts were able to prove to the Japanese (previously against the application of Moscow who objected) that they could not have legal grounds for claims. In addition, Russia has conducted a full cycle of new studies of the seabed, including seismic sounding, and now expects UN experts to agree that the Sea of Okhotsk, up to the Kuril Ridge, will fall under Russian jurisdiction.
The application is submitted by the delegation led by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Denis Khramov. Not only officials, but also specialists in the field of underwater geology, including former member of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf Yuri Kazmin and Deputy Director of VNII Okeangeology Viktor Poselov flew to New York. Collected evidence must satisfy the UN Commission.
The article by Alexander Gasyuk also notes that the satisfaction of Russian claims may further play a positive role in the consideration of the RF renewed application for the Arctic Lomonosov and Mendeleev ranges. In the ill-fated 2001 year, the United Nations rejected the relevant application, requesting additional data to substantiate the seabed belonging under the Arctic Ocean to Russia. Since then, our scientists have conducted numerous Arctic studies.
Vlad Grinkevich ("Voice of Russia") recalls that the continental shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk outside the 200-mile economic zone is now considered the “open sea”. Accordingly, any country can engage in fishing here.
Meanwhile, the Sea of Okhotsk almost surrounds Russian territories on all sides: the mainland, the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island, the Kuril Islands. True, in the south the sea washes the Japanese island of Hokkaido. That is why the controversial site is considered to be generally available.
Associate Professor of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation Peter Kaznacheev says:
The fate of Russian offshore applications depends on two factors, Kaznacheev explains. Continuation of the continental shelf must be scientifically proven. The second factor is the work of diplomats.
However, the Japanese are no longer going to object to the consideration of the Russian application in the United Nations.
But, as Kaznacheev points out, the forecasts for the Arctic ridges of Lomonosov and Mendeleev were also optimistic, and it is still not clear to this day whether the waters will receive the status of the Russian continental shelf.
It should be noted in conclusion that, despite the economic “openness” of the sea, it is convenient to “use” it, not to mention Japan, namely Russia. And, if the Land of the Rising Sun really does not object, and the UN Commission recognizes the arguments of Russian experts convincing, Russia will have a chance to “grow” the continental shelf under the Sea of Okhotsk with an area of 56 thousand square kilometers.
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