The Arctic Straits of Canada and Russia
With the melting of Artic ice, comes to the possibility of the opening of the Northwest and Northeast Passages between the Atlantic Ocean and Asia, long sought after by European explorers. These routes are much shorter than those through Panama or Suez, and they have important commercial and industr...
| Summary: | With the melting of Artic ice, comes to the possibility of the opening of the Northwest and Northeast Passages between the Atlantic Ocean and Asia, long sought after by European explorers. These routes are much shorter than those through Panama or Suez, and they have important commercial and industrial potential. They would also enable the development of major oilfields and mineral deposits. But these routes also represent major strategic issues for three Arctic nations, Canada, Russia and the USA. In the case of the USA, freedom of navigation for the US Navy is fundamental. For Canada and Russia, the waters of these straits are part of their internal waters, and therefore are not subject to any right of innocent or transit passage. Geopolitical issues are at the very heart of the dispute between these countries. La fonte des glaces arctiques laisse entrevoir la possibilité de l’ouverture des passages du Nord-Ouest et du Nord-Est entre l’Atlantique et l’Asie. Routes beaucoup plus courtes que Suez ou Panama, elles offriraient des possibilités commerciales et industrielles notables, tout en permettant l’exploitation de gisements de pétrole et de minerais considérables. Mais ces routes constituent aussi des enjeux stratégiques majeurs pour les trois acteurs arctiques que sont la Russie, le Canada et les États-Unis. Pour ces derniers, la liberté de navigation de la marine américaine est fondamentale; pour les deux autres, les eaux des détroits font partie des eaux intérieures, relèveraient de leur seule souveraineté et ne seraient pas soumises aux droits de passage inoffensif et de transit. Des enjeux géopolitiques constituent le fondement des litiges entre ces pays. |
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