

Photo: www.fotki.yandex.ru

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Thursday that the Conservative government will strive to "work peacefully" with other polar nations but "will not hesitate to defend Canadian Arctic sovereignty."

The statement came a day after the release of a new Russian government report that predicts possible military conflict over Arctic oil.

Cannon, currently on a diplomatic tour in Asia, said that recent steps taken by Canada to bolster its military and marine infrastructure in the North "will ensure that the Canadian Forces are prepared to address future challenges and respond to any emergency" that unfolds.

" Canada is determined to work peacefully in co-operation with all our northern partners in the Arctic ," Cannon said.

Cannon's comments come as Russia has been sending mixed signals about resolving uncertainties over Arctic boundaries and securing resources in the potentially oil-rich polar region.

Russian officials have been publicly emphasizing the country's interest in resolving potential Arctic disputes peacefully under the terms of a UN treaty governing the Law of the Sea.

In February, at a meeting in Moscow attended by Canada's top legal adviser on Arctic issues, Russian diplomats offered to submit its territorial claims in the polar region jointly with Canada and Denmark.