MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. NATO’s activity in the Arctic region, specifically the non-Arctic nations in the alliance, leads to tensions and undermines the status of the region as a zone of peace and stability, Russian envoy to the Arctic Council Nikolai Korchunov told journalists on Monday.
"Of course, we are alarmed by the increasing activity of the North Atlantic alliance in the Arctic. We are saying this to our partners and to the global public honestly and frankly," said Ambassador at Large Korchunov.
"The growing activity of non-Arctic NATO member countries in the Arctic is of special concern to us," he said in reply to a reporter's question.
"We are facing a new phenomenon, when non-Arctic countries in NATO adopt their military arctic strategies or issue reports and other strategic documents which justify the expediency of their military presence in polar latitudes," the diplomat went on to say. "This undermines efforts to preserve the Arctic region as a zone of peace, stability and constructive cooperation," he added.
Commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet Alexander Moiseyev said in late December that NATO was building up its training and reconnaissance activities in the Arctic.
"NATO continues to increase the intensity and scale of its training activities in the Arctic. The number of such drills increased by 17% Meanwhile, reconnaissance activities increased by 15%," he said.