Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen warns Greenland’s Home Rule Government not to allow a Chinese contractor to build airports in Greenland.
The message is that the Danish government will not accept that the Prime Minister of Greenland Kim Kielsen and his government can decide on their own whether Danish, Western or Chinese contractors will be responsible for the construction of major airports for international air traffic in several locations in Greenland.
”Investments in airport projects of this magnitude, of course, raise some questions and may – depending on funding and choice of external partners – have foreign policy perspectives that the government will discuss with the Home Rule Government,” Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen explains to the Danish newspaper Politiken.
For a long time, the airport projects have attracted attention in the Danish Government. This is particularly due to the fact that the state-owned Chinese entrepreneurial China Communications Construction Company has been selected as one of six major companies, that have been prequalified to make an offer on the construction.
According to the Act on Greenland Self-Government, the Danish Government has influence in matters of foreign and security policy. So, the crucial thing in this case is the reference to foreign policy perspectives. The Danish Prime Minister adds that he is looking forward to discussing the issue at a plenary session in the Faroe Islands in a short period of time. He is also suggesting the possibility of Danish co-financing.
In the Greenlandic election campaign, Mr. Kim Kielsen stated that: “obviously, we are to decide the things related to the construction of the airports.” This is, in his opinion, Greenlandic domestic policy.
Prime Minister Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s message is significant compared to the debate in January, where he only took part in the financial aspects of the airport projects, for which he expressed concern.
The airport projects will provide the western Greenland cities Nuuk and Ilulissat with 2200 meter lanes. South Greenland Qaqortoq is going to have a 1500-meter-long lane.
