Canada and France are opening new diplomatic consulates in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, underscoring their support for Denmark and signaling increased international attention on the
strategically vital Arctic island following renewed US interest in the region.
Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, arrived in Nuuk on Friday to formally inaugurate Canada’s consulate, accompanied by the country’s governor general, Mary Simon. Canadian officials say the new outpost will strengthen cooperation with Greenland on climate change, Indigenous rights and Arctic security.
France is also expanding its diplomatic footprint. Jean-Noël Poirier has been appointed consul general, making France the first European Union member state to establish a full consulate general in Greenland. According to the French foreign ministry, Poirier’s role will focus on deepening cooperation with Greenlandic authorities in cultural, scientific and economic fields, while reinforcing political ties.
Canada’s plan to open a consulate was announced in 2024, well before former US president Donald Trump revived his controversial calls for the United States to take control of Greenland. The official opening was delayed from November due to severe weather conditions.
The diplomatic moves come amid heightened geopolitical interest in Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory rich in minerals and critical to Arctic security. Anand met Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, in Copenhagen earlier this week, later stating that Canada and Denmark were working together to enhance “stability, security and cooperation” across the Arctic.
France says its decision to open a consulate followed President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Greenland in June, reflecting Paris’s long-term strategic interest in the region.
Tensions escalated earlier this year when Trump threatened new tariffs against Denmark and several European countries after they rejected his proposals for a US takeover of Greenland. The threats were later withdrawn after Trump claimed a tentative framework had been reached on US access to Greenland’s mineral resources, brokered with the help of Nato secretary general Mark Rutte. Details of the arrangement remain unclear.
In recent weeks, technical discussions have begun between the United States, Denmark and Greenland aimed at crafting a new Arctic security agreement. The talks follow meetings involving US vice-president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio, and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland, who agreed to establish a joint working group on regional security. Photo by patano, Wikimedia commons.