France’s President to Visit Greenland
France's President Emmanuel Macron (Renaissance) will visit Greenland on Sunday. (Photo: Laurent Blevennec/the French Presidency)
The French President Emmanuel Macron will go on an official visit to Greenland on June 15th. Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, will also participate in the visit. Security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic are at the top of the agenda.
On Sunday, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Prime Minister of Greenland, will welcome France's President Emmanuel Macron and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
The three heads of government will focus on security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic, but also discuss topics such as climate change, economic development, and renewable energy.
The Greenlandic Naalakkersuisoq (minister) of Foreign Affairs and Research, Vivian Motzfeldt (S), visited France in May and delivered an invitation to visit Greenland.
From the Greenlandic side, France is highlighted as a clear supporter in the face of US President Donald Trump's statements about taking control of Greenland.
"France is the first country we visit with a bilateral purpose, and I want to express gratitude on behalf of Naalakkersuisut to France for their support in a difficult time," said Motzfeldt in Paris.
She met with the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, among others, and discussed the security policy situation, as well as opportunities for closer cooperation between the countries in the extraction of raw materials and research.
Stands up for Greenland
At the UN's Ocean Conference in Nice on Monday, President Macron emphasized that Greenland is not up for grabs.
"I am pleased that the president was clear on this again. France has supported us since the initial statements about control over our country. It is both necessary and gratifying," the Greenlandic PM (D) wrote on Facebook.
"It has been uplifting to experience the international support for Greenland and the Kingdom in the difficult foreign policy situation in the past months. President Macron's upcoming visit to Greenland is yet another specific testament to European unity," states the Danish PM (S).
