Foreign relations of Greenland

File:Hans Egede - Johan Horner.jpg

Hans Egede (1686–1758), Lutheran missionary, credited with revitalising Denmark's relationship with Greenland

Being part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the foreign relations of Greenland are handled in cooperation between the government of Denmark and the government of Greenland.

Unlike Denmark proper, Greenland is not part of the European Union (EU). The country's status was changed to an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT) associated with the EU, a dependent territory that has a special relationship with a member state of the EU. However, Greenland remains a part of the Council of Europe and NATO as part of Denmark.

General aspects of diplomatic relations

With the Kingdom of Denmark having the responsibility for Greenland's international affairs, other countries often do not have direct diplomatic representation in Greenland—their embassies or consulates in Denmark are responsible for their relations with Greenland and their citizens in Greenland. Greenland is represented internationally by both the Greenland Representations and the embassies and consulates of Denmark. Further Greenland participates in the parliamentary Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers, and organisations as the West Nordic Council and the EU-based Overseas Countries and Territories Association, the latter being former colonies of the EU (dependent countries/territories).

The United States reopened its consulate in June 2020, in Nuuk, after it closed in 1953.<ref name="np20200611">Template:Cite news</ref>

Diplomatic representations

The Premier of Greenland is unable to speak to a foreign leader without a Danish ambassador present.<ref name="jungersen20250110">Template:Cite news</ref> Greenland has representative offices in several countries and otherwise is represented by embassies of Denmark worldwide. The Self-Government Act of 2009 allows the government of Greenland to open diplomatic offices, mainly within areas of full jurisdiction of Greenland, this being foreign trade, industry, fisheries, education, science, mining etc. Further Greenlandic diplomats, representing the government of Greenland, participate in areas of shared responsibilities between Denmark and Greenland, this mainly being observed in the defence cooperation between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States.Template:R

Current representations

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Representative Office of Greenland in Copenhagen

• Template:BEL
  • Brussels (Representative Office)
• Template:China
  • Beijing (Representative Office)<ref>Greenland now represented in China</ref>
• Template:DNK
  • Copenhagen (Representative Office)
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  • Reykjavík (Representative Office)<ref>Kevin McGwin: Greenland names first representative to Iceland, arctictoday.com 28 August 2018.</ref><ref>Kevin McGwin: Greenland's first representative in Iceland is a man for all reasons, arctictoday.com 22 October 2018.</ref>
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  • Washington, D.C. (Representative Office)<ref>Philip Stephens: Greenland building closer US relations, prime minister says, ft.com 6 March 2014.</ref>

Planned representations

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  • New York City (Representative Office)<ref name="berlingske20191104">Template:Cite news</ref>

Diplomatic missions in Greenland

High Commission

• Nuuk, Greenland
  • Template:DNK (High Commission)

Consulate general

• Nuuk, Greenland
  • Template:ISL (Consulate General)

Consulate

• Nuuk, Greenland
  • Template:USA (Consulate)<ref name="US consulate">Template:Cite news</ref>

Honorary consuls

• Nuuk, Greenland
  • Template:BEL (honorary consul)
  • Template:CAN (honorary consul)
  • Template:CZE (honorary consul)
  • Template:FIN (honorary consul)
  • Template:FRA (honorary consul)
  • Template:GER (honorary consul)
  • Template:LUX (honorary consul)
  • Template:NED (honorary consul)
  • Template:NOR (honorary consul)
  • Template:RUS (honorary consul)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Template:SWE (honorary consul)
  • Template:GBR (honorary consul)
• Tasiilaq, Greenland
  • Template:ISL (honorary consul)

Representative Office

• Nuuk, Greenland
  • Template:EU (Representative Office)

Disputes

• Pituffik and Old Thule is a sensitive area, due to the forced removal of the local population when establishing the U.S. military base, handling of removal, compensation of the locals, later incidents aggravated the case.

See also

• Greenland and the European Union
• Politics of Greenland
• Proposals for the United States to purchase Greenland

References

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