(MENAFN- Live Mint) Greenland's Prime Minister Múte B. Egede said on Friday that Greenland is for the "Greenlandic people" and the people of mineral-rich Arctic territory don't want to be Americans. Egede, however, said he was ready to speak with US President-elect Donald Trump, who said he wants control over Greenland.
Egede said he understands Trump's interest in the island given its strategic location and he's open to greater cooperation with Washington, the Associated Press reported.
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Egede's comments came after Trump said earlier this week that he wouldn't rule out using force or economic pressure in order to make Greenland - a semiautonomous territory of Denmark - a part of the United States. Trump said that it was a matter of national security for the US.
The Greenland leader acknowledged that Greenland is part of the North American continent, and“a place that the Americans see as part of their world.” He said he hasn't spoken to Trump, but that he's open to discussions about what“unites us.”
“Cooperation is about dialogue. Cooperation means that you will work towards solutions,” he said.
As per Reuters, Egede was asked at a Copenhagen press conference if he had had contact with Trump. He responded:“No, but we are ready to talk.”
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Egede has been calling for independence for Greenland, casting Denmark as a colonial power that hasn't always treated the Indigenous Inuit population well.
“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic,” he said at a news conference alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen.
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Trump's desire for Greenland has sparked anxiety in Denmark as well as across Europe. The United States is a strong ally of 27-nation European Union and the leading member of the NATO alliance, and many Europeans were shocked by the suggestion that an incoming US leader could even consider using force against an ally.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who also addressed the press conference, said on Thursday she had asked for a meeting with Trump, but did not expect it to happen before his inauguration.
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Frederiksen said that she sees a positive aspect in the discussion.
“The debate on Greenlandic independence and the latest announcements from the US show us the large interest in Greenland,” she said.“Events which set in motion a lot of thoughts and feelings with many in Greenland and Denmark."
“The US is our closest ally, and we will do everything to continue a strong cooperation,” she was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying.
Frederiksen and Egede spoke to journalists after a biannual assembly of Denmark and two territories of its kingdom, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The meeting had been previously scheduled and wasn't called in response to Trump's recent remarks. Trump's eldest son also made a visit to Greenland on Tuesday, landing in a plane emblazoned with the word TRUMP and handing out Make America Great Again caps to locals.
The Danish public broadcaster, DR, reported Friday that Trump's team encouraged homeless and socially disadvantaged people in Greenland to appear in a video wearing the MAGA hats after being offered a free meal in a nice restaurant. The report quoted a local resident, Tom Amtof, who recognized some of those in a video broadcast by Trump's team.
“They are being bribed, and it is deeply distasteful,” he said.
Greenland has a population of 57,000. But it's a vast territory possessing natural resources that include oil, gas, and rare earth elements, which are expected to become more accessible as ice melts because of climate change. It also has a key strategic location in the Arctic, where Russia, China and others are seeking to expand their footprint.
Greenland, the world's largest island, lies closer to the North American mainland than to Denmark. While Copenhagen is responsible for its foreign affairs and defense, the U.S. also shares responsibility for Greenland's defense and operates an air force base there based on a 1951 treaty.
(With inputs from agencies)
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