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Russia 'will respond' to military moves in Arctic

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-23 20:33

MOSCOW -- Russia will respond to any attempts to militarize the Arctic, the head of the country's armed forces was quoted as saying on Monday during a visit to Abu Dhabi.

File photo of Russian armoured vehicles boarding a naval ship to leave for Russia at the Black Sea coast near Sukhumi August 23, 2008. [Agencies]

"Overall, we are looking at how far the region will be militarized. Depending on that, we'll then decide what to do," Interfax news agency quoted General Nikolai Makarov, the head of the General Staff, as saying.

Makarov was in the United Arab Emirates for an international arms fair.

Last month NATO Secretary-General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer suggested the alliance and its strategic rival Russia could mount joint search-and-rescue exercises in the oil and gas-rich Arctic region.

He also raised the question as to whether NATO should consider increasing its focus on the region, saying that it was necessary to build confidence and trust among the five Arctic states, four of which are NATO members and the other Russia.

Moscow has claimed jurisdiction over most of the Arctic and last year a Russian mini-submarine dived to the seabed and symbolically planted a Russian flag to claim it.

NATO members with Arctic Sea coastlines are Canada, the United States, Norway and Denmark via Greeland.

Makarov also said Russia had not yet received any official proposals from Washington on significant cuts in strategic nuclear forces.

The Times of London reported earlier this month that President Barack Obama would convene ambitious arms reduction talks with Moscow, aiming to slash the number of intercontinental nuclear missiles on both sides by 80 percent.

"When there is a proposal, there will be a discussion," Interfax quoted Makarov as saying. "It is much too early to speak about that now."