Canada, US to negotiate boundary dispute in Arctic

Ottawa, Sep 25 (IANS) Canada and the US announced that they would create a task force to negotiate a boundary dispute in the Arctic region.

In a joint statement, the two countries said that the task force would undertake negotiations on the maritime boundary in the Beaufort Sea, including resolving the overlap in the continental shelf in the Central Arctic Ocean, Xinhua news agency reported.

The area at issue is situated north of Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories, the statement said.

"Canada and the United States will work collaboratively toward a final agreement that will provide clarity on our Arctic maritime boundaries, bearing in mind the responsible conservation and sustainable use of Arctic resources for the mutual benefit of Americans and Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples," said the statement.

According to the statement, the task force is expected to begin negotiations this autumn.