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Contacts Within Arctic Five Severed, Not at Russia's Initiative - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Contacts within the so-called Arctic Five, which discussed issues related to the Arctic, have been severed, Russian Foreign Ministry Legal Department head Maxim Musikhin told Sputnik.
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The Arctic Five included Russia, the United States, Denmark, Norway and Canada.
"The so-called Arctic Five used to discuss problematic issues related to the continental shelf, thus alleviating concerns and informing each other about the upcoming steps. Now there is no such mechanism. Contacts on the Arctic issue have been severed," Musikhin said.
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He added that it did not happen at Russia’s initiative.
The US and other Western countries "voluntarily deprived themselves of the opportunity" to discuss issues related to the continental shelf in a spirit of trust, Musikhin said.
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