(Russian Foreign Ministry) Summons Norwegian Ambassador in Protest Over Detention of Research Vessel in (Svalbard)

Moscow, September 3 (KUNA) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday the recall of Norway’s ambassador to Moscow, Heidi Olovseng, to the ministry headquarters, where she was presented with a strong protest over the detention of the Russian research vessel Professor Molchanov in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. The ministry said in a statement that the vessel had been detained in Svalbard at the request of the Ukrainian company Naftogaz, a claim confirmed by Norwegian authorities. In this regard, Russian Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic, Alexei Chekunkov, announced in a statement that lawyers for Arktyugol, the company responsible for operating the vessel, along with Russian legal representatives, were preparing to file a lawsuit against Norway over the detention of the ship. The Russian vessel had arrived in Svalbard carrying participants in a Russian technical and scientific expedition to the Arctic. Project commissioner Alexander Ponomarev expressed confidence that Norwegian authorities would work to resolve the issue of the vessel’s detention. The detention comes amid ongoing tensions in Russian-Norwegian relations in the wake of the fallout from the war in Ukraine and the increasing reciprocal measures and restrictions between Russia and Western countries. (End) D.A.N./A.M.S.