DEFENCE OF SPITZBERGEN

Chronicle (Levin), 16 January 1947, Page 5

DEFENCE OF SPITZBERGEN

SOVIET UNDERSTANDING WITH NORWAY Received Wednesday, S.20 p.m. LONDON. Jan. 15. An understanding has been reached in the Soviet-Norwegian negotiations ahout the necessity for the joint de fenee ot" the Sjiitzbergen Ardupelago ac.cording to an ofticial coiniuuni'pu lissued by the Tass Agency (the nfh'cin )Soviet news distrilniting organisa tion). Tlie Tass communi(|ue said Sovier negotiations were lield in 1944 and early in 1945 vvhen the Russians raise the issue of revising tlie 1920 Spitx. (bergen Treaty. "That treaty wliicl, fundamentally changed tlie statns of Ihe Spitzbergen Tslands, until theii considered no-inan 's-land, was signed pvithout tlio Hoviet Union's knowledge, and inasinncli as the sigantories in cluded States which fought agninst th Allied Powers that treaty cannot Je inain. ytilid. . .The treaty uttorly dis regards .'ihe! inte.rests of Soviet security in tho hoiTh as -.W(dl ns invp'a'rtant Soviet economic interests. I 'As regards the problem of Sovie' security the Second World War proved that the Sitzbergen Islands are of exeeptional importance in this respect for tlie Soviet in the North. The economic importance of the Spitz.bergeM archipelago to the Soviet is soen from the faet that prior to the Second World

! u ar tlie northern districts of the ; Soviet Fniori and the Soviet Navy wer> supplied with coal niined bv Soviet organisations in Spitzbergen to th" amount of 400,000 tons a year, while the total output of coal in Spitzbergen a mounted to from 600,000 to 650,00.1 t ons. "During the 1944 and 1915 Soviet Norwegian negotiations an understanding was reached ahout. the necessity for the joint defonce of the Spitzberge" Archipelago. Consnltations with tlu* Allied Governments concerned regard ing the revision of Ihe 1920 trcatv were also envisaged, bnt the negotia tions were not conipleted. " The coninmniqne added: "Tn Novem bor, 1946, Mr. Molotov and the Nor wegian Foreign Minister, Mr. Osca' Lange, exclianged opinions on Spitz bergen defence during the United Nations Assemblv in New York in tlie spirit of the provious negotiations."