Greenland took the Presidency of the Arctic Council on the name of the Kingdom of Denmark on Monday. This happened at a time when US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the US should take control of Greenland, and even excluded the use of power. According to AFP and DPA reports, TASR reports this.
The past two years chaired this Council Norway. The local Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide handed over the symbolic chairman “hammer” to the head of Greenland’s diplomacy Vivian Motzfeldt on Monday during a press conference in the city.
“In today’s geopolitical situation, it is extremely important to preserve the forum for all Arctic states and the original population of the region,” said Eide. The Greenland Minister of Foreign Affairs was appointed chairman of the Council on behalf of the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland.
The Arctic Council was founded in 1996. It is the most important platform for cooperation in the Arctic region. Its members are Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Canada, the United States and Russia, and some indigenous groups living in the area also have their representation.
This council deals with common issues in the region, including naval routes, economic opportunities or threats, which is a climate change.
DPA argues that there are concerns that the current situation could be complicated by the US administration, which by its steps prevents climate change research. “Climate change takes place in the Arctic faster than anywhere else on the planet, on average three times, in some areas up to four times faster than the world average,” He noted Eide. “This is of great importance for life in our region,” added the head of Norwegian diplomacy.
