Russia made its ambitions clear by planting a flag beneath the North Pole An international meeting has begun in Moscow in an attempt to stop the Arctic becoming the next battleground over mineral wealth.
One quarter of the world’s resources of oil and gas are believed to lie beneath the Arctic Sea.
Russia, Norway, Canada, Denmark and the United States have already laid claim to territory in the region.
Delegates will discuss cooperation but are also likely to push their claims to the Arctic’s riches.
The region’s resources are rapidly becoming accessible due to the dramatic shrinking of the polar ice cap.
The race for the Arctic centres on an underwater mountain range known as the Lomonosov Ridge.
In 2001, Moscow submitted a territorial claim to the United Nations which was rejected because of lack of evidence.
Three years ago, a Russian expedition planted a titanium flag on the ocean floor beneath the North Pole in a symbolic gesture of Moscow’s ambitions.
Russia’s Natural Resources Minister Yuri Trutnev says, however, that there are no immediate plans to develop the territory.
“Lomonosov is about working for the future,” he said.
Canada and Denmark are also planning to submit separate files to the UN.
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