Lawyer and owner of Arctic Law Britta Keldsen established the company Mestersvig Aps on 24 September 2026. It was two days after the United States, Greenland and Denmark had entered into a security agreement, which includes, among other things, the establishment of American bases in Mestersvig and Narsarsuaq.
According to the company information, the company was established with the aim of supporting activities in connection with transport, and to conduct business in the field of service.
Lawyer and owner of Arctic Law Britta Keldsen established the company Mestersvig Aps on 24 September 2026. It was two days after the United States, Greenland and Denmark had entered into a security agreement, which includes, among other things, the establishment of American bases in Mestersvig and Narsarsuaq.
According to the company information, the company was established with the aim of supporting activities in connection with transport, and to conduct business in the field of service.
Undecided what the company will be used for
Asked what the company will be used for, Britta Keldsen replies that it is undecided.
– I only set up the company on the basis of an idea of what the future might bring. I actually think it is borderline-crossing that as a business operator you have to explain future plans with a company in order to satisfy people on social media, says Britta Keldsen and points out that both name and purpose can be changed once she has decided what the company will be used for.
– It is possible that I close it, or sell it, or find something to do in the company. I’m a businessman, and it’s such a shame that I call the company a master fraud, says Britta Keldsen, who thinks it’s a shame that people are criticized because they run a private business in Greenland.
– It is inappropriate for me and it is terribly inappropriate for Greenland, she says and adds that the debate on social media has also come to be about who is local and where the power lies in Greenland.
– I am a bit offended by some of the comments I have received. It is unfortunate that it often becomes a “them and us” rhetoric. I think it is unfortunate that we – who were not born in Greenland – but whose hearts also beat for Greenland, are often met with distrust. It is a myth that there is an underlying immigrant network that determines something in Greenland. In fact, business decides very little in Greenland. And that I have to be shamed on Facebook because I found a company has no place on earth, says Britta Keldsen and adds that it is also striking that as soon as a woman founds a company in Greenland, the thesis immediately becomes that it has something to do with her husband.
The tasks should be offered
One of those who jumped over the timing and the company’s name is Laila Bertelsen, who is part of the professional network at the Job Center in Copenhagen “Tikilluarit”. She will not speculate on Britta Keldsen’s intentions in establishing the company, but simply point out that it is important that the citizens of the East Coast also have the opportunity to bid on the upcoming tasks.
– My hope is that the upcoming tasks in Mestersvig will not automatically go to actors from the west coast who already have networks and experience with American defense activities. Therefore, I hope that the upcoming tasks in Mestersvig will be tendered. The tenders should be open and genuinely accessible to indigenous people and local actors, so that companies and enterprising citizens in Tunu have a fair opportunity to bid for and win the tasks. There are already people in Tunu with local knowledge, experience and new ideas. At the same time, they have valuable knowledge about the special Arctic nature and weather conditions in Tunu and about the existing environmental and pollution conditions in Mestersvig.
Local jobs
According to Laila Bertelsen, the future bases should form the basis for the development of more local workplaces, apprenticeships and training opportunities.
– At the same time, it must make it attractive for our compatriots, who are educated in Denmark and elsewhere abroad, to return home and use their skills in Tunu. In this way, we can build a stronger local workforce and give the next generation the opportunity to carry on and take on the tasks themselves, says Laila Bertelsen.
