Russia is concerned with the increased activity of NATO, particularly non-Arctic states, in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for international Arctic cooperation, Nikolai Korchunov, told reporters on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2020) Russia is concerned with the increased activity of NATO, particularly non-Arctic states, in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for international Arctic cooperation, Nikolai Korchunov, told reporters on Monday.
"[NATO 's activity in the Arctic] is really growing. Naturally, we are concerned with NATO's growing activity in the Arctic. We speak about it frankly and honestly both to partners and the global public. We are particularly concerned about the increase in activity in the Arctic by NATO's non-Arctic states," Korchunov said.
Such states adopt documents that justify military presence in the region, which leads to tensions, the diplomat added.
"This undermines the preservation of the Arctic as a zone of peace, stability and constructive engagement," Korchunov said.
Russia is against NATO's involvement in the region, acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday, adding that Moscow would prefer meetings of top generals of the Arctic Council member states to resume.
