MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. Russia’s national interests extend to the entire World Ocean, as follows from the new Maritime Doctrine approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.
"The national interests of the Russian Federation as a great sea power extend to the entire World Ocean and the Caspian Sea. They are shaped taking into account challenges and threats to Russia’s national security in the World Ocean, generally-recognized principles and norms of international law, Russia’s international treaties, and also considering the sovereignty and national interests of other states," says the document posted on the Russian government’s legal information web portal.
Under the new doctrine, Russia’s national interests in the World Ocean envisage ensuring the country’s independence, state and territorial integrity and the inviolability of its sovereignty, keeping its status as a great sea power, developing the maritime potential and strengthening its defense capability, providing for free shipping, fishing and scientific exploration, the safe operation of sea pipeline systems and environmental safety and developing the Arctic zone and the Northern Sea Route.
"Protecting Russia’s national interests in the World Ocean is a top state priority," the document reads.
Priority areas in World Ocean
Russia’s new Maritime Doctrine divides the areas of ensuring Russia’s interests in the World Ocean into the ‘vitally important,’ ‘important’ and ‘other’ categories.
The first group covers the areas that "are directly related to the development of the state, the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, strengthening its defense and that exert critical influence on the country’s social and economic development."
These embrace Russia’s internal sea waters and its territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and its continental shelf, the Arctic basin, including the waters of the Northern Sea Route, the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea, according to the document.
‘Important’ areas are defined as those "that have considerable influence on Russia’s economic development, the well-being of its population and national security, and also on maintaining the state’s strategic and regional security."
In particular, these areas cover the waters adjacent to the Russian coastline, including the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, the eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, Baltic and Kuril straits and world transportation routes, the new doctrine specifies.
"In order to protect its national interests in the World Ocean, Russia exercises its indisputable right to the presence of the Navy’s forces (troops) and their use in strict compliance with Russia’s legislation, its international treaties and norms of international law," the document reads.
Threats to Russia in World Ocean
"Russia’s implementation of its independent foreign and domestic policy causes counteraction from the United States and its allies that are seeking to preserve their dominance in the world, including in the World Ocean. Their policy of containing Russia envisages exerting political, economic, military and information pressure on it," according to the new doctrine.
Under the document, the country is developing amid existing and new threats that are related, first and foremost, to Russia’s geopolitical position and its role in global politics."
"The force factor does not abate in international relations. The leading world powers that possess the substantial naval potential and a developed system of basing keep building up their naval presence in geopolitically important areas of the World Ocean, including in the waters of the oceans and seas adjacent to Russian territory," the new doctrine reads.