(Ottawa) Canada and the United States have announced the creation of a working group to negotiate an Arctic border dispute.
Published at 5:39 p.m.
Anja Karadeglija The Canadian Press
The two countries have a long-standing dispute over part of the Beaufort Sea, opposing a treaty dating back to 1825.
They said in a statement that the task force would work to resolve overlapping claims to the area, which lies north of Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
Late last year, the United States filed a continental shelf claim with a United Nations agency that includes much of the Beaufort Sea floor that Canada also seeks to control.
Canada and the United States say negotiations will begin this fall and aim for a final agreement that will clarify borders.
Both countries are paying greater attention to the Arctic due to growing strategic competition in the region.
The statement said the working group’s mandate will include “meaningful engagement with state, territorial and Indigenous partners.”
The agreement provides, among other things, for “the responsible conservation and sustainable use of Arctic resources for the mutual benefit of Americans and Canadians, including indigenous peoples.”
