The Foreign Ministry called unacceptable complicating Norway’s access to Svalbard

Russia does not accept Norway’s discriminatory approach to tightening the conditions for the work of Russian organizations in the Svalbard archipelago and its waters, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

“The measures introduced by the Norwegian side in violation of the principles and provisions of the Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920 already affect all the main areas on which the Russian presence in the archipelago is based for many years and implemented in full accordance with international law – coal mining, tourism, science,” quotes Zakharov press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The diplomat noted one of such examples. In particular, the vessel, despite the timely sending of the relevant notification to the Norwegian side about its entry, is actually denied access to the Russian village of Barentsburg.

Zakharova added that the Russian side does not accept such a “discriminatory approach.” The Russian position with the appropriate arguments was repeatedly brought to the attention of the Norwegian side through official channels, she concluded.

On June 28, it became known that Oslo had rejected Moscow’s application for the passage of goods for the settlements on Svalbard through the checkpoint on the Russian-Norwegian border Sturska. The next day Solveig Rossebø, Chargé d’Affaires of Norway in Moscow, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After that, in July, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin instructed the Committee on International Affairs to consider the denunciation of the treaty between Russia and Norway on the delimitation of maritime spaces. The Norwegian side, represented by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne Haavardsdatter, said that the agreement between the kingdom and Russia cannot be terminated. In her opinion, Russia and Norway have a “mutual interest” in maintaining relations along the line of demarcation.

In autumn, a number of Russians were detained on suspicion of espionage and illegal filming using drones and photographic equipment. Among them was Andrey Yakunin, co-founder of the Venture Investments & Yield Management fund and the son of the former head Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin. The investigation claimed that he allegedly illegally used a drone on the island of Svalbard.