WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Russia concluded a six-day inspection of foreign research stations, installations and equipment in Antarctica on Saturday, pursuant to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 and its Environmental Protocol, the U.S. State Department announced Monday in a statement.
Under the leadership of officials from the Department and Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the joint team inspected three stations: Concordia (France/Italy), Mario Zucchelli (Italy) and Scott Base (New Zealand), examining the Treaty Parties' adherence to their obligations, ensuring that Antarctica is used only for peaceful purposes and that Parties honor the prohibition on measures of a military nature.
The Department said an inspection report will be jointly presented to the other Treaty Parties at the next Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting scheduled for June in Hobart, Australia.
The State Department coordinates U.S. policy on Antarctica with National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. It leads diplomatic efforts within the framework established by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, signed in Washington, to ensure Antarctica's status as a continent reserved for peace and science. Currently 49 nations are signatories of the treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve where military activity is banned.
Signed in 1991, the environmental protocol provides for environmental impact assessments and waste management, and designates protected areas in order to safeguard the pristine region's marine environment and its flora and fauna.