Canada and France open consulates in Greenland following tensions over US push for control
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Canada and France opened diplomatic consulates on Friday in the capital of Greenland, showing support for NATO ally Denmark and the Arctic island in the wake of U.S. efforts to secure control of the semiautonomous Danish territory.
Canada’s maple-leaf flag went up and dozens of people sang “O Canada” as Foreign Minister Anita Anand officially opened the country’s consulate in Nuuk, which is also the largest city of the icy Arctic island.
“The significance of raising this flag today and formally opening the consulate is that we will stand together with the people of Greenland and Denmark on many issues,” she said.
Anand cited deepening ties on defense, security, climate change, economic resilience and Arctic co-operation.
France’s Foreign Ministry said Jean-Noël Poirier was taking up his duties as consul general on Friday, making it the first European Union country to establish a consulate general in Greenland.
Greenland’s Sermitsiaq reported that Poirier had arrived Friday along with Canada’s delegation, but said the consul doesn’t yet have a physical consulate.
Poirier will be “tasked with working to deepen existing cooperation projects with Greenland in the cultural, scientific, and economic fields, while also strengthening political ties with the local authorities,” the ministry said.
France says the decision to open its outpost was made when President Emmanuel Macron visited in June.
Canada pledged to open a consulate in Greenland in 2024, before Trump’s recent talk of a takeover, and the formal inauguration was delayed from November because of bad weather.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced last month he would slap new tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries that opposed his takeover calls, only to abruptly drop his threats. He said a “framework” for a deal had been reached over access to mineral-rich Greenland was reached. Few details of that agreement have emerged.
Last week, technical talks started between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland toward an Arctic security deal. The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland had agreed to create a working group during a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio before Trump made his tariff threats.