The political parties behind the Danish Defence Agreement have agreed on a new agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic region. This first agreement includes initiatives with financial commitments worth approximately DKK 14 billion and the parties have agreed on the need to conclude a second agreement on this issue in the first half of 2025. The agreement was concluded between the Danish government and the political parties behind the Danish Defence Agreement, in close cooperation with the Greenlandic and Faroese governments.
The parties also agreed to negotiate a second agreement on this issue in the first half of 2025.
"We have to face up to the fact that there are serious security and defence challenges in the Arctic and North Atlantic. For this reason, we need to strengthen our presence in the region. This is the aim of this agreement, which paves the way for further initiatives already this year," says the Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
"Greenland faces a changing security environment. I am pleased with the steps we are taking with this Partial Defence Agreement to improve security in and around Greenland. Naalakkersuisut (Government of Greenland) looks forward to continuing the dialogue with the Danish government," Says Vivian Motzfeldt, Minister for State and Foreign Affairs.
The aim of the parties behind the agreement is to improve the capacity for surveillance and the preservation of sovereignty in the region. Supporting the efforts of allies and NATO in the Arctic and North Atlantic is also essential to strengthening overall security and defence. In total, these initiatives represent a financial commitment of DKK 14.6 billion.
Initiatives include, but are not limited to:
New Arctic military vessels
* The three new Arctic naval vessels will ensure that tasks around Greenland can be carried out more efficiently and flexibly. The ships will be able to carry with them additional capabilities such as helicopters and drones.
Long range drones
* Two long-range drones that will be able to conduct long-range surveillance over large areas and provide detailed monitoring.
Improved situational awareness and intelligence
* Satellite capacity and ground-based sensors will enhance situational awareness and intelligence by identifying and tracking activity in areas such as the Arctic and North Atlantic.
Increased entry into Arctic basic military training
* The agreement enables more young people in Greenland to acquire important skills that will enable them to take responsibility for preparedness.
The agreement is the first step towards strengthening defence and security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. A second agreement aimed at strengthening deterrence and defence in the region is expected to be concluded in the first half of 2025.
The agreement strengthens the company's resilience
Ensuring that investment through the Agreement can provide support to local workplaces and businesses in the Faroe Islands and Greenland will be central throughout the implementation of the Agreement.
The Parties agree that it is essential that the initiatives have the greatest possible positive impact in the Faroe Islands and Greenland in order to strengthen the resilience of civil society. This means, among other things, that the capacities set out in the Agreement must strengthen the ability of the Danish Defence to support the police, the Emergency Management Agency and other civilian agencies in their tasks.
The parties also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of intelligence and research and to upgrade the facilities of the Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk. This will enable Danish Defence to operate under better security conditions and to work on an increasing number of tasks related to surveillance, sovereignty maintenance, support to allies, as well as search and rescue in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
"It is essential that the enhanced efforts in the Arctic and North Atlantic are carried out in close cooperation with the Faroe Islands and Greenland, so that initiatives are rooted in local communities and have a positive impact on civil society. This is what this agreement will achieve," says Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
For more information on the Joint Arctic Command, please visit here.
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