DENMARK, which already counts Greenland and the Faroe Islands as its Arctic territories, is planning to lay claim to the North Pole, a daily reported on Tuesday, quoting a leaked foreign ministry paper.
'The country is expected to lay claim to the continental shelf in five areas around the Faroe Islands and Greenland, including the North Pole itself,' the strategy paper reads, according to the online version of the Information daily, which said it obtained a copy of the strategy document set for publication in June.
If Denmark's 'Arctic Strategy 2011-2020' is adopted, the claims would put the Scandinavian country on a collision course with Russia, the United States, Canada and Norway.
The five countries all have claims in the region, where melting polar ice and new technologies have made the 'high north' easier to access and fuelled competition for untapped oil and gas reserves.
The Arctic seabed is thought to hold about 90 billion barrels of oil and 30 per cent of the world's undiscovered gas resources, according to the US Geological Survey.
The North Pole seabed itself is however not believed to hold large reserves, but appears to hold symbolic value for the countries in the region. |