Delelinjeavtalen mellom Norge og Russland i Barentshavet : en utenrikspolitisk case-analyse av norsk delelinjepolitikk

• Main Author: Melgård, Sivert
• Other Authors: Fermann, Gunnar
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: Norwegian Bokmål
• Published: NTNU 2016
• Subjects: foreign policy analysis; delimitation dispute; commercialization opportunities; global security; UNCLOS; VDP::Samfunnsvitenskap: 200; Barents Sea; Russland; Barentshav*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2436407

This thesis is a foreign policy analysis of Norwegian policy towards the Soviet Union/Russia in the Barents sea. The intention of this study is to explore Norwegian policy in the delimitation dispute between the two countries. The research question is: What characterizes Norwegian delimitation dispute policy in the Barents sea? Is the policy characterized by continuity or breaks? Which external and internal conditions, interests and actors over time influenced the Norwegian formulation of goals, means and behaviour in the delimitation dispute policy towards the Soviet Union? The last question is to be considered as the main research question in this study. This thesis is a case study of Norwegian delimitation dispute policy and I have used document analysis to gather and process empirical material. I have used a wide spectre of primary and secondary sources including the final agreement between the two countries, research articles and newspaper articles. In this study I find that the change in the global security image after the cold war caused a big change in the delimitation dispute. The interdependence between the two countries in utilisation of the resources in the area, the UNCLOS, organized actors with interests in the area and key decision makers in management of the government also caused the Norwegian behaviour. My findings is that Norwegian delimitation dispute policy has been influenced by several external and internal conditions, interests and actors over time, and the formulation of goals, means and behaviour have been affected by this. A strong correlation between them, pulling in the same direction, was decisive for the Norwegian signing of a final agreement.