The Swiss newspaper Le Tan said, “There has been talk for several days about Russia’s discovery of huge oil reserves in the frozen Antarctic, especially in the British territories of this ocean, which raises great concern not only in Britain but also outside of it.”
The Swiss newspaper quotes several media outlets, including the British newspaper The Telegraph, that “the discovered reserves contain approximately 511 billion barrels of oil, which is approximately 10 times the North Sea’s production over the past 50 years.”
This stock was reported to Moscow by Russian research ships – according to evidence presented last week to the Environmental Audit Committee of the British House of Commons – and reported by The Telegraph, which added that British MPs warned that “these studies are a prelude to the introduction of drilling rigs to exploit this pristine area in search of fossil fuels.” “.
Strengthening the Russian presence
Lotan considered that the Antarctic Treaty – which was signed in 1959 in Washington – provides great protection for the region.
The countries that signed the agreement recognize that “it is in the interest of all humanity that Antarctica remain forever reserved for peaceful activities only, and not become a theater or issue of international conflicts,” according to the Swiss newspaper.
Lotan quotes the American magazine Newsweek as saying, “Despite the lack of territorial claims in Antarctica, Russia, along with the United States and China, has gradually strengthened its presence in the region in recent years through various scientific campaigns, and has established five research stations in the region since 1957.” “.
Last week, the British newspaper added, David Routley, the British Deputy Foreign Secretary, informed the Financial Audit Committee that his ministry had decided to trust Russian assurances that Moscow was only carrying out scientific research. He told the Telegraph, “Russia has recently confirmed its commitment to the main elements of the treaty.”
However, Le Tan newspaper quoted experts in the region warning that it would be “naive to trust Russia’s seriousness in fulfilling its obligations.”
Lotan reported that Newsweek magazine quoted Klaus Dodds, professor of political geography at Royal Holloway College in the United Kingdom, as saying that Russia’s activities must be subject to careful scrutiny to ensure their compliance with international standards, adding that “there are fears that Moscow will collect seismic data that will… “It can be interpreted as exploration, not scientific research.”
Dodds continued, “Russia’s activities should be seen as a move to undermine standards associated with seismic research and, ultimately, a precursor to future resource extraction,” and thus Russia’s actions in the region could “indicate a potential threat to a permanent mining ban,” as he put it.
