Moscow doesn’t acknowledge Washington’s try and illegally declare over one million sq. kilometers of maritime territory, together with within the Arctic and the Bering Sea, the Russian Overseas Ministry has mentioned.
Russian representatives knowledgeable the Council of the Worldwide Seabed Authority of this on Monday. The council is at present assembly in Kingston, Jamaica and operates beneath the 1982 UN Conference on the Regulation of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The US is “unilaterally attempting to cut back the realm of the seabed beneath the Authority, and therefore your entire worldwide neighborhood,” the Russian Overseas Ministry mentioned in a press release.
The US Division of State introduced its “prolonged continental shelf” undertaking in December 2023, claiming jurisdiction of roughly a million sq. kilometers past its territorial waters. The UNCLOS permits maritime claims of as much as 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the shore on this planet’s oceans.
“These unilateral steps by the US don’t conform to the foundations and procedures established by worldwide regulation,” the Russian Overseas Ministry mentioned, noting that it “blocked Washington’s newest try to make use of the 1982 Conference solely to advance its personal pursuits.”
UNCLOS permits the likelihood for increasing a rustic’s unique financial zone (EEZ) if it could possibly show that the continental shelf extends previous the 200-mile restrict, however nations must submit a petition by means of the correct channels, as Russia did in 2015.
Moscow accused Washington of “specializing in its rights and utterly ignoring its obligations” in terms of worldwide regulation. Though it was concerned in crafting the UNCLOS, the US has by no means ratified it.
In keeping with the Russian Overseas Ministry, the observe through which Moscow refused to acknowledge the US continental shelf claims has already been delivered to Washington “by means of bilateral channels.”
Maps revealed by the State Division present the US claiming territory in six areas, together with within the Arctic and the Bering Sea alongside the maritime boundary with Russia. The Arctic declare goes 350-680 nautical miles past the 200-mile line, whereas the Bering Sea declare goes roughly 340 nautical miles east.
Washington additionally desires to acceptable parts of the seabed north of the Mariana Islands within the Pacific Ocean, in addition to off the west coast of California.
Within the Atlantic, the US has claimed a large swath of seabed past its 200-mile line, in addition to two sections of the Gulf of Mexico alongside the boundary with Mexico and Cuba.
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