- Marking in the battle for the North Pole – Dagbladet.no

(Dagbladet): Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called Russia’s ambassador to Norway on the carpet Monday to get an explanation of why the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin suddenly appeared in Longyearbyen on Svalbard yesterday, reports TV2.

Already Saturday night asked UD about a orientation of the Russian embassy about the unscheduled visit from Deputy Prime mini stern standing on a list as “unwanted” in Norway because of the Norwegian sanctions in connection with Russia’s role in Ukraine conflict.

– Only opportunity to get to Longyearbyen and Svalbard with ordinary airliner is through airport on the Norwegian mainland. Through the Svalbard Treaty, Russians have the right to fly charter or private jet straight to Svalbard.

Not illegal, but undesirable

– That there has not happened anything illegal, but Norwegian authorities will nevertheless have an explanation why get visit was not announced, says Communications Manager Frode O. Andersen of the Foreign Ministry told Dagbladet.

It was the site Barentsobserver who first reported the Russian minister visit yesterday and that Rogozin is dragged on to the North Pole after a trip by the Russian community on Svalbard.

– big mouth

Russia experts at Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) is not surprised by the unscheduled Russian crack every Kremlin.

– Rogozin is active in social media, known to be a big mouth and to prov the. He knows what he is doing and will probably tough himself by showing that he can stretch the elastic bit extra, says senior Jakub M. Godzimirski at NUPI said.

He stressed that he did not know the purpose of the trip or the extent of all the regulations that govern entry to Svalbard. He believes whatever the incident will not have much to say for the relationship between Norway and Russia.

– The relationship between the countries has changed entirely different reasons. This would probably not have major consequences, says NUPI researcher.

– The battle for the North Pole

– This is marking policy. Russians have delivered and will deliver requirements for shelf Commission, and it must be seen in light of “the battle for the North Pole,” says FNI researcher and Russia expert Jørgen Holten Jørgensen Svalbardposten.

President Vladimir Putin has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Chairman of the Russian Commission for the development of the Arctic – also with military responsibilities.

– Then it is not unnatural that he at such a stage where he is trying to make themselves familiar with the Arctic, but is the particular. He is very fond of markings. But he makes the not in this in a vacuum, it has to be done in consultation with his political leadership, maintains Jørgen Jørgensen Holten faced Svalbardposten.

– As planned

«North Pole. Our Station in 2015. Anniversary of the “Battle on the Ice” on Lake Chudskoe. But it’s all quiet & amp; as planned, “wrote the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister on Twitter at 09 o’clock Sunday morning after he had looked around at the Russian base at the North Pole.

According to the Barents Observer also managed the Russian deputy prime minister a helicopter to the actual Pole during his crack every to highest north.