From the AP: In a surprise move, Norway and Russia agreed Tuesday to evenly divide a long-disputed area in the Barents Sea, a promising oil and gas region in the Arctic made more accessible by global warming.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said only technical details remain to be worked out before a deal can be signed delimiting the border, ending negotiations that have dragged on for decades. Such an agreement would also have to pass the two countries’ legislatures.

"We have now turned the page on this issue," Medvedev told reporters in Oslo, adding the disputed area was "divided in a fair way."

NATO member Norway and Russia failed to agree on a maritime border in the Barents Sea during the Cold War and couldn’t reach a deal despite several attempts following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.  (photo: Getty)

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