WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Angus King of Maine says the melting polar ice cap represents an opportunity for U.S. security, economic and diplomatic interests.
King says the nation needs to work cooperatively to demonstrate how the new ocean resource can be ``peacefully and thoughtfully developed'' while avoiding conflicts attached to similar natural resources in the past.
King also announced support for U.S. accession to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which would allow the U.S. greater sovereignty claims in the Arctic.
King delivered his remarks last week at the 2014 Henry Bacon Breakfast Seminar in Washington, D.C. where he spoke about the impact of global climate change on the Arctic environment.