Denmark and Greenland sign 1.2 billion kroner support deal

Greenland’s government and the Danish government signed a 1.2 billion kroner partial agreement on Tuesday, DR reports. The funding will support investments in Greenland from 2026 to 2029.

The agreement includes a support package for Greenlanders who are most economically vulnerable, according to a press release from Denmark’s Ministry of Finance.

The governments will also prioritise the supply sector, including water supply projects in Ilulissat and funding for Nukissiorfiit, Greenland’s self-rule-owned utility company. The aim is to help create more up-to-date and resilient energy infrastructure.

Funding for airports and port studies

Denmark and Greenland have agreed to allocate money for the operation of Greenland’s new international airports. Funding will also be set aside for preliminary studies in 2027 on a new regional runway in Ittoqqortoormiit and a new deep-water port in Qaqortoq.

“We are investing in initiatives that can make a difference in the daily lives of the Greenlandic people, while also supporting Naalakkersuisut’s work to develop a strong and sustainable Greenlandic society,” Finance Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in the press release.

The agreement builds on a separate deal signed by the two governments in February, which provided several million kroner for treating Greenlandic patients in Denmark’s healthcare system.

Both agreements stem from a framework agreement reached last September by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s head of government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen. Under that agreement, the parties committed a total package of 1.6 billion kroner to strengthening Greenland’s healthcare system and building the deep-water port and a new runway.