French claim on seabed invalid, PM tells Williams
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | 8:43 AM NT
The Canadian Press
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Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada does not recognize France's claim to a larger area of the seabed for St-Pierre-Miquelon, an archipelago south of Newfoundland.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Premier Danny Williams, Harper says the maritime boundary between Canada and the French territory was settled in June 1992 after a decision by the International Court of Arbitration in New York.
Harper says he has conveyed his position to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The boundary dispute flared last month, when the French government said it would file a letter of intent with the United Nations laying claim to an extended continental shelf for St-Pierre-Miquelon.
The area is considered to be a potentially rich source of oil and gas.
Williams, who has repeatedly clashed with Harper, has said he expects Ottawa's full support in defending the province's interests.
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