EFENCE POLICY FOR SPITZBERGEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5305, 18 January 1947, Page 5

EFENCE POLICY FOR SPITZBERGEN

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■* ffORWAY AN'D RUSSIA 1PPROVAL OF UNITED NATIONS WANTED •• . ■ / *

—lac. &.S0 p.m.)

OSLO, Jan. 17. The X^rwegian Government id Parliament is now considerg Russia's request that the ro countrierf should be jointly isponsibli* for the defence of leArctif Lland of Spitzbergen. hjc js announced in a stateentby th«* Norwegian Foreign inistry giving details of recent lks with Russia. The nt recalls that the ternationai veaty of 1920 stipued that '.vav has full sover;nty 'iVi'! Snitzbergen but must not afciish iiavM hases 013 ihe islands fortify th* n. The iiw"»?a"Oe of the islands for Dtectinir t: aorthern supply line Rusqa wa- nnderstood, and Nory apinwtie i the Russian view it the nar ! ad altered the situap. The Xctrraapmi Government had pressed it- willingness to discuss » possihihty uf an agreement beecn the r\ • ■••mntries for the mili•y «>e of "be archipelago and deired its rra-jHiess to sign a provisial bint .Ivhfration. At the same se. Xoi wa;-. •ucgcsted these conions: — (1 ) That • tio should continue to w sovi'n'i:: "';.- over Spitzbergen. (2) That hT parliament niiglit ;ify any arvmigement with Russia. (3) That ihe Spitzbergen treaty lltl lnnly !v i-ovised in aeeordanee [h intenuni^ral law. (4) X>. r.rrangement could be tught aho'it before the governnts of Rri+ain. United States, Hold, Fiaiti"-. TVi.mark and Sweden i-agreeL The Xorr statement goes 011: he two governments agreecl at ; prolimiaaf y discussions that any eration ■'' tho I reaty could oniy with the • •nsent of the other sigtory ii.iw/r-. Norway, with the owledgo the Soviet Governnt. ha.] k.-nt Britain and the itd Stats-.- informed of the disisinnsajit! tio icaction had been oxsseil. I.at > . France, Holland, uinail; 'tioi Sv.oden wero inforrdld (ievdopiiH'i:' 9