UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States, Denmark and its autonomous territory of Greenland on Tuesday signed an agreement in New York to expand the U.S. military presence on the strategic Arctic island.
At a ceremony on the sidelines of the UN General Debate, the agreement was inked by U.S. President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Under the wide-ranging deal, the United States will be allowed to modernize and expand its activities at Pituffik Space Base, which it already operates in northwestern Greenland, and to establish an additional defense area at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig.
The deal also permits U.S. aircraft to fly over and land in any territory in Greenland, including its territorial waters, while U.S. public vessels may have undersea access to and movement within the territorial waters, without restriction except as mutually agreed upon by the parties.
The agreement bars non-NATO states from establishing manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland and from maintaining persistent presence of military forces in Greenland, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
It also restricts states or investors from countries that are not NATO members, NATO partners or EU member states from having control, significant influence or access to non-public information that could threaten national security or public order in particularly sensitive sectors or activities in Greenland.
The deal came after months of pressure from Trump, who repeatedly called for acquiring the autonomous Danish territory and did not rule out military or economic means. The proposal has drawn strong opposition from NATO allies and Greenlanders.
Under a 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States, as amended and supplemented in 2004, the U.S. military has rights to maintain personnel and construct, maintain and operate facilities in designated defense areas in Greenland, including at Pituffik Space Base.
The newly signed agreement will enter into force upon the delivery of a diplomatic note informing the United States that the Kingdom of Denmark, together with Greenland, has completed the necessary parliamentary procedures. ■
