COPENHAGEN, Dec 8 (Reuters) – The new U.S. ambassador to Denmark pledged more support for Greenland on Monday ahead of meetings on his first visit there, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring the semi-autonomous territory.
Relations between Denmark and its longtime ally, the United State,s have been strained since Trump revived talk of wresting control of Greenland away from Denmark.
“We have achieved a lot over the years, especially in the last five years. We can do more. We want to support a strong, secure, and prosperous future for the people who call the Arctic their home,” ambassador Kenneth Howery, who previously co-founded PayPal, told journalists in Nuuk alongside Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, according to local newspaper Sermitsiaq.
Motzfeldt said that U.S. comments about Greenland had created uncertainty among locals, and she stressed the need to speak openly with the United States.
“Our country and the United States have cooperated for 80 years based on common interests. There is a need to restore trust so we can continue good cooperation,” Motzfeldt said, according to Sermitsiaq.
Howery is in Nuuk to attend meetings of the Joint Committee and the Permanent Committee, which, according to Greenland’s government, alternate between the island and the U.S. and provide a forum for civilian and military cooperation, including the American military presence there.
Officials from both Greenland and Denmark attend the annual committee meetings, which Motzfeldt said in a statement are designed to promote direct dialogue and cooperation with the United States on areas of both civilian and military importance.
Washington argues that Greenland, a Danish sovereign territory, is vital for U.S. security and its ballistic missile early-warning system, as the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the island.
“Trust and respect are the foundation of any partnership, and it is no secret that the past year has been challenging,” Motzfeldt said in the statement.
Denmark’s foreign ministry declined to comment on who from Copenhagen would participate in the talks.
Both the Danish and Greenland governments have ruled out ceding the resource-rich island to U.S. control, although Denmark has acknowledged neglecting the territory’s military capabilities.
(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, additional reporting by Soren Sirich Jeppesen, editing by Ros Russell)
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