One of Canada's top foreign policy priorities will be to work with other countries to resolve differences over Arctic border disputes, AP quoted Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon as saying Friday. Cannon released a new Arctic policy statement that puts more emphasis on cooperation. The Conservative government has previously emphasized strengthening its military presence in the Arctic to bolster Canada's sovereignty. Climate change is altering the Arctic geography by melting ice and creating open waterways, and with them new access to a bonanza of minerals, petroleum and polar shipping routes. This has led to a welter of conflicting claims by Canada's neighbors, including Russia. «Making progress on outstanding boundary issues will be a top priority,» Cannon said. Russia, Canada, the U.S., and Denmark all have claims before a U.N. commission to extend their undersea boundaries into ice-blocked areas, and Moscow dramatically staked its claim to the region by planting a flag on the ocean floor at the North Pole in 2007. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made the Arctic a priority, pledging to increase Canada's military presence in the Northwest Passage in case enough ice melts to make it a regular Atlantic-Pacific shipping lane. Canada says it owns the passage. The U.S. and others say it's international territory. Canada and Denmark have staked claims to tiny Hans island at the entrance to the Northwest Passage, and on the other side of North America, the offshore Alaska-Canada border is disputed. Cannon said they are beginning to engage with the U.S. and Denmark on the Alaska and Hans island disputes, but he made no mention of the Northwest passage. Opposition New Democratic Leader Jack Layton said he hopes the government is sincere about talking through boundary disputes. If true, it marks a considerable shift in the Conservatives' posture, he said. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took issue with Canada during an Arctic meeting in Canada last March for not inviting all those with legitimate interests in the Arctic to what was supposed to be a gathering to enhance cooperation in the region. Clinton said she had been contacted by representatives of indigenous groups who were disappointed they were not invited, according to prepared remarks for the Arctic Coastal meeting. She also said that Sweden, Finland and Iceland _ the three Arctic States not represented _ had similar concerns. Sweden, Finland, Iceland and indigenous groups are a part of the broader Arctic Council group that meets regularly, but were not invited to last the Canadian forum. But Canada said Friday it will pursue a strengthened Arctic Council and called it the leading forum for cooperation on Arctic issues. Harper will make his fifth annual trip to the Canadian Arctic next week. Cannon is set to discuss the Arctic in a trip to Russia, Finland and Norway in early September
