PARIS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- France has opened a consulate in Greenland, becoming the first European Union country to establish a diplomatic mission in the autonomous Danish territory, the French Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Jean-Noel Poirier has taken up his post as consul general in Greenland's capital of Nuuk, a move to strengthen France's consular network, the ministry said in a post on social media X.
President Emmanuel Macron first announced his plan for the consulate during a visit to Greenland in June last year, and signed a decree appointing Poirier earlier this week.
Poirier previously served as France's ambassador to Vietnam from 2012 to 2016. His current mandate includes promoting scientific cooperation with Greenland, advising French companies interested in investing or setting up business on the world's largest island, and cooperating with local authorities to map the mineral potential of Greenland's subsoil.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said last month that opening the consulate sends a "political signal" and reflects France's intention to strengthen its presence in Greenland "at all levels."
Other countries are also expanding their diplomatic footprints in Nuuk. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is also to open a new consulate there on Friday. ■