Tag: France

France and Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) engage primarily through Arctic research collaborations, environmental initiatives, and France’s broader interests in Arctic geopolitics, as the result of the French history of Arctic exploration.

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Macron in Nuuk, Cooperation within the Kingdom & Near-Ittoqqortoormiit Mining License… June’s Wrap-up

On a visit to Greenland ahead of the G7 in Kananaskis, Canada, the French President met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen during a visit to Nuuk. Emmanuel Macron affirmed his support for Greenland and announced that France is ready to strengthen its commitment to the Arctic through joint exercises and economic and social partnerships (High North News, June 16). He also announced the opening of a French consulate general in Nuuk, while a European representation was inaugurated in March (Sermitsiaq, June 15). At the end of May, the heads of government of the eight Nordic countries met in Finland. While Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland had been repeatedly excluded in recent months, the eight Nordic countries committed to including them in future Nordic ministerial meetings and to strengthening cooperation on civil preparedness and resilience (High North News, May 30). In mid-June, the heads of government of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Denmark convened for their biannual meeting in the Faroese capital, Tórshavn. Beyond increased pressures in the Arctic, the Faroe Islands and Greenland have engaged in dialogue for greater autonomy in foreign affairs, while the Danish prime minister has called for a “modernization of the Kingdom” and greater investment in Greenland (High North News, June 18; Eye on the Arctic, June 17). “We have made it clear that if Greenland wants to amend the Self-Government Act, including ensuring better economic frameworks for Greenland in relation to mineral extraction, we are ready to conclude this agreement on the Danish side,” said Mette Frederiksen (Sermitsiaq, June 17). The head of defense attended this biannual meeting for the first time (Altinget, June 18). In coordination with the Greenlandic government, the Danish armed forces will increase their presence in Greenland this summer, with a frigate and two helicopters now in place to strengthen military operations in the Arctic (High North News, June 11). At the same time, the Danish Parliament approved the installation of US military bases on Danish soil (Eye on the Arctic, June 12). Furthermore, at the NATO summit in The Hague, where the Greenlandic government wanted to meet with their US counterparts (Sermitsiaq, June 23), Denmark formally entered into a partnership with Canada, Germany, and Norway on maritime security and military cooperation in the North Atlantic (Sermitsiaq, June 25). Also in June, Greenland granted a 30-year permit to a European Union-backed project to mine molybdenum, a critical metal used in aerospace, energy, and defense, on which China has imposed export controls. The permit was granted to Greenland Resources, a Toronto-listed company backed by the European Raw Materials Alliance, which holds the license for the Malmbjerg project near Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost town on the east coast. The open-pit mine could supply about 25% of Europe’s molybdenum consumption (Sermitsiaq, June 19;  Eye on the Arctic , June 19). Regionally, the Kingdom of Denmark held its first session of the Arctic Council; “Engagement with indigenous peoples, focused on promoting knowledge sharing, is a cross-cutting priority for the Kingdom of Denmark,” said Kenneth Høegh, the Greenlandic SAO representing the Kingdom of Denmark (Eye on the Arctic, June 17). Finally, in Denmark, a new organization called Uagut (“us” in Greenlandic) was founded by Greenlanders in Denmark. This organization aims to give a voice to the approximately 17,000 Greenlanders living in Denmark and to combat discrimination against them (Sermitsiaq, June 22).

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“Un balcon sur le désastre” : le Groenland, nouvelle priorité de la récente stratégie arctique française ?

English below

La première stratégie polaire française, qui fait notamment suite à la feuille de route nationale sur l’Arctique, présentée par l’Ambassadeur des pôles et des enjeux maritimes, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, fait du renforcement de la communauté scientifique française au Groenland l’une de ses priorités.

La France cherche à diversifier sa présence en Arctique, notamment sa présence permanente qui est actuellement matérialisée par la station franco-allemande AWIPEV au Svalbard. “Réengager la science française en Arctique” a été annoncée comme l’une des priorités de la première stratégie polaire française à horizon 2030, intitulée “Équilibrer les extrêmes”. Le Groenland, y est présenté comme “la région du globe où la signature du changement climatique est la plus visible et la plus dévastatrice”, le ”balcon de cette dramatique transformation”, et semble être l’un des territoires sur lesquels la France cherche à étendre son influence, en particulier à travers la recherche scientifique. Parallèlement à l’ouverture d’un bureau de la Commission européenne à Nuuk, la stratégie polaire vise “le développement d’autres installations de recherche pérennes”. S’appuyant sur la tradition polaire française au Groenland (les expéditions polaires françaises menées par Paul-Émile Victor ou encore les travaux de Jean-Malaurie), plusieurs modalités sont citées sans qu’aucune n’ait été approfondie : l’installation d’un bureau logistique, l’implantation dans une station déjà opérée par des universités, ou encore la création d’une infrastructure en lien avec les autorités et municipalités groenlandaises.

– “A balcony on the disaster”: Greenland, new priority of the recent French Arctic strategy?

The first French polar strategy, which follows the national roadmap on the Arctic, presented by the Ambassador for Poles and Maritime Issues, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, makes the strengthening of the French scientific community in Greenland one of its priorities.

France is seeking to diversify its presence in the Arctic, including its permanent presence which is currently materialized by the Franco-German AWIPEV station in Svalbard. “Re-engaging French science in the Arctic” has been announced as one of the priorities of the first French polar strategy for 2030, entitled “Balancing the Extremes”. Greenland is presented as “the region of the globe where the signature of climate change is the most visible and devastating”, the “balcony of this dramatic transformation”, and seems to be one of the territories on which France seeks to extend its influence, particularly through scientific research. Along with the opening of a European Commission office in Nuuk, the polar strategy aims to “develop other permanent research facilities”. Based on the French polar tradition in Greenland (the French polar expeditions led by Paul-Émile Victor and the work of Jean-Malaurie), several options are mentioned, although none of them have been explored in detail: the installation of a logistics office, the establishment of a station already operated by universities, or the creation of an infrastructure in conjunction with the Greenlandic authorities and municipalities.

Sources : Gouvernement.fr.