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🇳🇴 Norway /Economy & Trade

Greenland Rejects EU Membership Despite Billion-Euro Investment

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Greenland’s government leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the island will not reverse its 1985 decision to leave the European Communities and does not plan to join the EU.
  • The EU, Greenland and Denmark signed a declaration expanding cooperation, with €200 million earmarked for satellite internet, critical raw materials and energy projects.
  • Greenland wants to build a stronger and more strategic partnership with the EU without becoming a member.

Greenland’s leader has rejected EU membership even as Brussels offers €200 million for investment on the island.

Greenland left the European Communities, the EU’s predecessor, in 1985. Although Denmark is an EU member, Greenland is not. Government leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen said he does not want to reverse that decision.

“Greenland has the same position as before, and we have a partnership with the EU,” Nielsen said. “We want to build on it and make it more strategic and stronger.” He added that membership “is not on the table.”

Greenland has the same position as before, and we have a partnership with the EU. We want to build on it and make it more strategic and stronger.

· Jens-Frederik NielsenGreenland’s government leader described the island’s preferred relationship with the EU.

On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen signed a joint declaration on expanded cooperation. The EU plans to invest €200 million, or slightly more than 2 billion Norwegian kroner, in projects including satellite-powered internet, critical raw materials and energy.

The declaration expands cooperation compared with the previous joint statement, signed in 2015. But the new investment does not change Greenland’s position on membership.

Membership is not on the table.

· Jens-Frederik NielsenNielsen ruled out Greenland joining the European Union.
About this summary

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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