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The frozen beach on the Bering Sea coast is seen in Nome, Alaska. Photo/REUTERS/Nathaniel Wilder
MOSCOW – Russia does not recognize the efforts of the United States (US) to illegally claim more than one million square kilometers of maritime territory, including the Arctic and Bering Sea.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) confirmed this. The Russian representative informed the International Seabed Authority Council about this on Monday (25/3/2024).
The Council currently meets in Kingston, Jamaica, and operates under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“The US is unilaterally trying to reduce the seabed area in agreement with the International Seabed Authority Council and the entire international community,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The US State Department announced a “continental shelf extension” project in December 2023, claiming jurisdiction of about one million square kilometers outside its territorial waters.
UNCLOS allows maritime claims up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the coast in the world's oceans.
“These unilateral US steps do not comply with the rules and procedures established by international law,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said, noting it “obstructs Washington's latest attempt to use the 1982 Convention exclusively to advance its own interests.”
UNCLOS allows for the possibility of expanding a country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) if it can prove its continental shelf extends beyond the 200-mile limit, but countries must petition through proper channels, as Russia did in 2015.
Moscow accused Washington of “focusing on its rights and completely ignoring its obligations” when it comes to international law.