A government official from Greenland insists the Danish autonomous territory will not give up its minerals in light of interest from the United States.
Natural resources minister Naaja Nathanielsen spoke to NHK on Tuesday in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.
US President Donald Trump is keen to take ownership of Greenland, citing national security reasons. He also wants to discuss the territory’s mineral resources, including rare earth elements.
Nathanielsen said a working group involving Denmark that has been set up to promote dialogue with Washington is for discussing national security issues, not minerals.
She said, “It is absolutely possible to come and invest into Greenland and develop our minerals alongside us, but we will not give up any minerals for peace.”
Nathanielsen also said the United States has removed many environmental regulations that are important for Greenland because of climate change in the Arctic.
She also said there is a lot of potential for cooperation with Japan, and that Japanese technology could help Greenland’s mineral and energy sectors.