The ministry stated that the cargo, intended for Russian miners working in the Svalbard archipelago, was blocked because it was on a Russian ship that was prevented from crossing the border due to sanctions. It has now been decided that the cargo will be delivered by Norwegian carriers.
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“It is positive that a solution to this problem has now been found,” the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, adding that two containers are already on their way with a Norwegian ship.
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“It is important to emphasize that these solutions have existed all along,” a ministry spokeswoman told AFP news agency.
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The ministry’s statement says that during the dispute, Norway has established a good dialogue with Russia.
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Last week, Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Norway’s plenipotentiary, accusing Oslo of blocking access to the Svalbard archipelago and threatening retaliation.
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Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced on Tuesday that the parliament should consider denouncing the border agreement with Norway.
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In 2010, Norway and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of the sea border, as well as on cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, thus putting an end to four decades of territorial disputes.
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Norway responded by emphasizing that it is in the interests of both countries to maintain this agreement.
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Although Svalbard is under the sovereign possession of Norway, it allows citizens of more than 40 countries to use the potentially rich mineral deposits on an equal basis.
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Moscow has long wanted to gain more influence over the archipelago and insists that it be called Spitsbergen rather than Svalbard.
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