Naalakkersuisoq for foreign affairs, Múte B. Egede will soon sit together with the foreign ministers of Arctic countries. Here he will point out that cooperation on custody and security policy is paramount.
Múte B. Egede is not in doubt when he is asked by Sermitsiaq what his first message will be when he sits down at the table at the A7 meeting in New York today.
And it is that Greenland is an equal party between Arctic alliance countries:
– The clear message is that we are involved as an equal party. We are ready to take that responsibility in that work, but that you also listen to Greenland. The more we contribute, the more they must listen to us. And we will be involved in that direction, Naalakkersuisoq for foreign affairs, Múte B. Egede (IA) tells Sermitsiaq.
As part of the seven Arctic alliance countries, Greenland will point out the importance of focusing on coordination and contribution to exercises.
And he wants to hear that the seven other countries, which include America, Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Finland in addition to Denmark, where Greenland and the Faroe Islands are also included.
– What is important right now is that the allied countries coordinate with each other. And that is what we will bring to the table first when we sit down with the seven Arctic allies, says Múte B. Egede and continues:
– We would like A7 to say that they agree on the defense and security policy and that we cooperate across each other. And that we confirm that we are part of the western countries.
Long road to agreement
The chairman of Naalakkersuisut, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has just announced that he expects to put his signature on the agreement between the USA, Greenland and Denmark. According to the latest reports, the agreement is to strengthen security in the Arctic.
Naalakkersuisoq for foreign affairs also makes no secret of the fact that the past eight months, during which the negotiations in the working group have been going on, have been tough:
– It has been a tough game. Although some of the work has been difficult. So we have found a solution that all three alliance parties can vouch for, and it is a win-win-win situation that we have arrived at.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the A7 meeting on behalf of America. And here Múte B. Egede already has an idea of what he wants to say to his American colleague:
– I can say that we say thank you that a solution has finally been found. A solution that we were able to find, as there were challenges across alliance partners. It is good that we can look each other in the eye and initiate a necessary dialogue. I am grateful for that, he says.
