Norway says Russian deputy PM's visit to Svalbard "regrettable"

Norway said it is "regrettable" Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who is on EU and Norway's list of individuals not allowed entry because of the Crimea issue, paid a visit to Norway's Arctic Svalbard archipelago, media reports said on Sunday.

"This is not a violation of Norwegian law, but we have clearly expressed to the Russian embassy in Oslo that listed people are not wanted on Svalbard," Aftenposten newspaper quoted foreign ministry's communications chief Frode Andersen as telling local NTB news agency.

"Therefore Rogozin's stay on Svalbard is regrettable," Andersen said, adding that the Norwegian foreign ministry has asked the Russian authorities for an explanation over his visit to Svalbard and Oslo will consider reinforced entry restrictions, which will include the archipelago.

Norway's internet news service BarentsObserver reported on Saturday that Rogozin posted a tweet saying "Arrived in Longyearbyen on Svalbard" at noon on the same day. He later visited Barentsburg, an Russian mining settlement on Svalbard.

Rogozin, who is Russia's deputy prime minister in charge of defense industry, said nothing about how he traveled to Svalbard and a passenger plane from mainland Norway would involve passport control that would have stopped his entry, BarentsObserver reported.

According to the Svalbard Treaty of 1920, the archipelago is under Norwegian sovereignty, but the exercise of sovereignty is subject to certain stipulations and citizens of signatory countries have equal rights to exploit its natural resources.

Charter planes directly from Russia frequently land at the airport in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement and the administrative center of Svalbard, without flying via any Norwegian airports, BarentsObserver said. Enditem