Greenland Seeking To Sign Mining Agreement With US In the Near Future

MOSCOW, Jan 17 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- Greenland expects to sign a new agreement with the United States on cooperation in mining "as soon as possible," reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti, quoting Greenlandic Minister of Business, Trade, Mineral Resources, Justice and Gender Equality Naaja Nathanielsen.

On Wednesday, Nathanielsen said that US President-elect Donald Trump's interest in Greenland in 2019 led to increased cooperation between the island and the US in mining. She also expressed hope that Trump's claims indicate that this cooperation will continue.

"Greenland has high hopes of signing a new agreement with the United States as soon as possible. We are searching for ways to increase investments in our mining sector," Nathanielsen said in an article for The Washington Post newspaper on Thursday.

The minister noted that Greenland has 39 of the 50 minerals that the US identified as critical to its national security and stability, including copper, zinc and nickel, which are necessary for the production of modern technologies.

She once again emphasised that Greenland does not want to be part of the United States; it is only about business cooperation.

Trump, who is due to assume office on January 20, has called it "an absolute necessity" for the US to own Greenland. Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede said in response that the island was not for sale.

Greenland was a colony of Denmark until 1953. It remains part of the kingdom, but in 2009 it received autonomy with the ability to self-govern and make independent choices in domestic policy.

--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI