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Greenland will boost cooperation with US: leader
Nuuk, Greenland (AFP) June 22, 2009 Greenland aims to expand its relations with the United States, its prime minister said Sunday as the island welcomed a new era of self-rule after 300 years under Danish authority. Kuupik Kleist said longstanding relations with Washington, which has an air base on the territory in Thule, may have been problematic at times but an agreement signed in 2004 settled these issues. "With regard to the United States, we have renewed our agreement with Denmark, Greenland and the USA, which is a very positive agreement, not only on the presence of the US military in Greenland -- Thule Air Base -- but also with regard to trade, education and other areas," he said at a news conference. "We will be looking into the possibility of developing this agreement." He said talks with Washington would likely be resumed within two or three months. Kleist said self-government demands that Greenland "open up and establish cooperation with as many partners as possible". Greenland is "a global actor, notably in the debate about global warming", he said. Greenland's new self-rule status took effect on its national holiday -- some three centuries after the first Danish ships landed. Denmark granted Greenland limited sovereignty when its parliament approved home rule in 1979, giving the island of 57,000 inhabitants more control over its natural resources such as oil, gas, gold and diamonds. US scientists believe the island's northern tip is especially rich in oil and gas and they say global warming could actually help Greenland unlock this untapped wealth and provide a solid foundation for the economy. Greenland, which holds 10 percent of the world's freshwater reserves, is one of the areas most under threat from global warming, which will affect its lucrative fishing industry. That will force political leaders to look underground in a bid to diversify the economy and cut its reliance on the former colonial master for funding. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Japan denies sea borders were drawn to allow US nuke shipsTokyo (AFP) June 22, 2009 Japan's foreign minister on Monday denied a report that it had demarcated its territorial waters so as to avoid disputes over the movement of US warships carrying nuclear weapons. "The territorial waters were not demarcated from a military standpoint," Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone told reporters. Japan in the late 1970s delineated territorial waters that extended only three ... read more |
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