Issues in Focus
Partnership with Greenland
Joint Statement of the Joint Committee
October 6, 2004
Nuuk, Greenland
Two months after U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller, and Greenland Home Rule Deputy Premier Josef Motzfeldt signed in Igaliku, Greenland, the Joint Declaration on Economic and Technical Cooperation, U.S. Ambassador Stuart Bernstein, Danish State Secretary, Ambassador Birger Riis-Jørgensen, and Greenland Home Rule Executive Deputy Minister Kaj Kleist led delegations to the first meeting of the Joint Committee. The Igaliku Declaration created the Joint Committee to enhance and expand cooperation between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.
The launch today of the Joint Committee deepens and strengthens our ties and forges a full partnership, as Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged in Igaliku. The Greenland Home Rule Deputy Premier greeted the Danish and American delegations stating, “In Igaliku we established the framework for cooperation. Now the Joint Committee is going to fill out the framework. The Joint Committee is empowered to make real our commitment to produce concrete results both in the near and long term. I welcome the start of this important work.”
Acknowledging the overall long-term character of the Committee’s work, the delegations in this first session also reaffirmed their commitments to produce early, tangible results. The Joint Committee partners are already producing results in areas specified in the Fact Sheet released during the historic August 6 signing ceremony in Igaliku. The Joint Committee notes that its work will complement, not duplicate, preexisting fora for cooperation. It is also committed to fostering private sector cooperation and commercial interaction to the extent possible.
During this first meeting the delegations from the United States, Denmark and Greenland adopted concrete action plans related to potential areas for future cooperation. Action plans should also pinpoint one or more targets for the work undertaken by the working groups. Furthermore, the delegations stressed that the work of the Joint Committee shall be a continuous process in which working groups and points of contact will continue to forge cooperative efforts throughout the year on research, technology and energy cooperation, environmental issues, education, culture, health, development, tourism, air traffic planning and trade, aimed at producing tangible results.
The Committee instructed the working groups to start work immediately by establishing action plans aimed at identifying concrete project proposals within a short timeframe. The working groups established by the Joint Committee will aim to present their first concrete proposals to the Joint Committee at the earliest opportunity in order to provide adequate time to prepare for the next Committee meeting. Joint projects and programs will be implemented through joint contributions.
In connection with the meeting, Ambassador Bernstein and Principal Margit Motzfeldt officially opened the American Corner (resource center) at the Nuuk Teacher’s Training Institute. The American ambassador also launched a virtual American consulate for Greenland (www.usembassy.gl). These actions lay the foundation for further steps to enhance ties in educational and cultural areas.
Prior to this meeting, the National Science Foundation, Danish Polar Center, and Greenland Home Rule Government reached agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance their collaboration. The parties welcomed this development and pledged to continue to seek ways to foster enhanced and cooperation in the fields of science, the environment and technology.
The Joint Committee will meet again in Washington in the first half of 2005. From then on the Committee will meet at least annually.