Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released the text of an agreement with the United States and Greenland on the island's security, shedding light on the details of the deal, infohub.kz reports.
The document was signed on September 22. It states, among other things, that the parties support stepped-up NATO activity in the Arctic, including planning, presence, exercises and joint intelligence gathering.
Under the agreement, the United States is permitted to modernize and expand operations at the Pituffik aerospace military base in Greenland, as well as to establish an additional defense area in the settlement of Narsarsuaq and at the Mestersvig military outpost.
In addition, the United States may set up further defense areas in Greenland and either expand its military operations or reinforce military facilities.
American aircraft may fly over the entire territory of Greenland and land there, including in territorial waters, while U.S. government vessels may enter Greenland's territorial waters underwater and move within them without any restrictions.
The Greenland agreement is open-ended and can be amended only by mutual consent of the parties in accordance with Article XIII of the 1951 Defense Agreement.
Furthermore, should Greenland gain independence in the future, the document obliges the governments of Denmark and Greenland to guarantee that the island agrees to maintain or obtain NATO membership and will fulfill all the obligations assumed by Denmark when signing the current agreement.
Recall that Denmark, Greenland and the United States signed the security agreement for the island at the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, Donald Trump announced construction at U.S. military bases.