Russia insists it won't militarise the Arctic

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted Wednesday Moscow had no plans to boost its military presence in the Arctic, saying existing laws could resolve disputes in the much-courted region.

"We are not planning to increase our armed forces presence in the Arctic," Lavrov told reporters at the close of an Arctic Council meeting in the northern Norwegian town of Tromsoe.

"The decisions taken provide for strengthening the potential of the coast guard," a move needed because the melting ice cap is leading to more human activity in the region, he said.

An official Russian document made public in March suggested that Russia would deploy units from the army and the FSB security service in the Arctic.

An official Russian document made public in March suggested that Russia would deploy units from the army and the FSB security service in the Arctic.

Russia said it planned to put troops in its Arctic zone "capable of ensuring military security," including the "creation of (an) actively functioning system of the Federal Security Service coastal guard."

The announcement came as bordering countries are rushing to make territorial claims in the Arctic, a region potentially rich in natural resources that will become increasingly accessible as climate change melts the ice cap.

To clarify things, Russia’s national security council issued a statement last month saying it did not plan to militarise the Arctic, a position Lavrov reiterated Wednesday.

"The existing legislation in the world allows (us) to deal successfully with all issues which might arise," he said.

The US Geological Survey says the Arctic region could hold 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil reserves and 30 percent of its undiscovered natural gas — riches that will become increasingly accessible as the ice melts.

The melting ice will also open up new shipping routes, including the northwest and northern passages, which could significantly reduce distances sailed between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

On Tuesday, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere — whose country hosted the rotating presidency of the Arctic Council until Wednesday — called for peaceful cooperation in the Arctic region.

"We will as responsible governments and coastal states be able to manage the challenges and opportunities of this region without gliding into conflict and negative competition," he told reporters.

Adopted in 1982, the Convention on the Law of the Sea regulates issues such as territorial claims and management of the seas.

Territorial claims in the Arctic came to the fore in 2007 when Russia planted its flag on the seabed some 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) beneath the North Pole.