At the beginning of September he wrote Dagbladet that the research ship, which belongs to the Shirshov Institute in Moscow, received permission to carry out a research cruise for the period from 26 August to 22 October. This is evidenced by the documents that Dagbladet had access to.
At the time, researcher Ina Holst-Pedersen Kvam of the Norwegian Defense Academy warned the Naval Academy of The potential of “academic Sergey Vavilov” to engage in both intelligence and sabotage.
The permit caused a stir – and the head of Storting’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide (H), asked Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap) written question in the Storting on the justification of the authorization and on the safety assessments that have been carried out in advance.
According to the ship monitoring service, Marine Traffic, “Akademik Sergey Vavilov” is currently docked in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Søreide is clear that the government needs to re-evaluate the permit. Also following what is allegedly sabotage actions against the Nord-stream 1 and 2 pipelines. At the moment it is not known who is behind the accidents against the pipelines.
This is Nord Stream speculation
– It is worth asking whether the assessments are still valid, even after what happened in the Baltic Sea. I expect new assessments to be made following the developments in recent days, the former Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs told Dagbladet.
– Part of the concern with this type of ship is that in the updated Russian military doctrines, the Russians are concerned with the use of civilian ships for military purposes. This is why I and others are reacting.
CRITIC: Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide of Høyre believes the government should reconsider the permit. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB
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The right-wing leader urges the government to be vigilant.
– The Law of the Sea sets some clear restrictions on denying someone a research trip, but there’s still one more reason to be vigilant now, says Eriksen Søreide and adds:
– I don’t think my score has gotten worse in the last few days.
– Risk
As researcher Ina Holst-Pedersen Kvam, Eriksen Søreide points out that the ship has the potential to engage in intelligence and sabotage activities.
– That is the risk that the ship could have a completely different purpose, for example to inspect infrastructure on the sea floor or to transport and deploy sabotage equipment, the former minister says.
Eriksen Søreide points out that she also argued that the government should continuously evaluate the Norwegian exemption for Russian fishing vessels, which can enter Norwegian ports.
– When Russia is at war in Ukraine and is in conflict with much of Europe, the risk against Norwegian interests also increases. If so, you need to specifically justify why you say yes, rather than having permission as a starting point.
Dagbladet contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday and asked whether the permit will be withdrawn or revalued. The Farnesina has not yet answered the question.
Then Dagbladet originally mentioned the permit stated, among other things, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
“Norway can refuse a search application in territorial waters. Outside the territorial waters, ie more than 12 nautical miles from the coast, the coastal state, on the other hand, can refuse the search in only a few cases.”
“For example, Norway can refuse if it is really not research, but fishing or exploitation of other resources. This comes from the law of the sea,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“For this question, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received input from other parts of the administration in the usual way. We have authorized the ship to conduct research outside Norwegian territorial waters, as required and in line with our obligations under the law of the sea “.
The ship has not received permission to call at Norwegian ports, according to documents to which Dagbladet originally had access.
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– It needs to be picked up
– The permit should never have been granted and must now be withdrawn, says representative Ola Elvestuen (V) in Dagbladet.
– The government must start acting on the basis of the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in with the growing threat from Russia with the escalation of the war in Ukraine, says the left.
– It will have a significant effect
On Friday, Putin is expected to announce the incorporation of the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the Russian-occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the country is conducting a large-scale “partial mobilization” of reserve forces.
Elvestuen is ready in his speech to the government.
– There is no reason to entrust this so-called research vessel to Norway. There are more than three weeks left for the permit. Now it must be withdrawn.
– Don’t be naive
FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug also reacts to the fact that the permit has been granted.
RASER: FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug thinks it’s sensational that the ship has been granted permission for the research voyage. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / NTB
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– The fact that the government has allowed Russia to carry out research trips on the Norwegian continental shelf with the research vessel “Akademik Sergey Vavilov” is sensational. I fear that the motivation for the trip may have different agendas and could potentially undermine Norwegian interests in the maritime area. We must not be naive in our relations with Russia. It’s especially important in the situation we’re in today, he tells Dagbladet.
The FRP leader believes the ship can provide Russian authorities with information on vulnerable assets.
– We do not know what assessments the government has made in this regard, but there is no doubt that this could potentially provide Russian authorities with information on vulnerable assets and the opportunity to plan or execute unwanted operations, says Listhaug.
Listhaug also asked Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap) to answer a written question on why the authorization was granted.
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