The US President’s envoy to Greenland upon his arrival on the island: I am here to “make friends”

The US President’s envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, said upon his arrival on the Antarctic island, which has become a point of geopolitical tension, that he is here to “make friends.”

This is Landry’s first visit to Greenland, and he is scheduled to attend a trade conference in Nuuk. Denmark and Greenland are holding talks with the United States about security in Antarctica and Washington’s role in its future, according to Bloomberg News Agency.

“I’m here simply to make friends, to look, to listen, to learn and to see if there are opportunities to expand the relationship between Greenland, the United States and Denmark,” Landry told Danish broadcaster DR late on Sunday.

He said that US President Donald Trump told him to “go there and befriend people.”

Trump’s repeated calls to control the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland have sparked concern among the island’s 56,000 residents, as well as in Denmark, a close ally of the United States since World War II.

Landry is scheduled to attend the “Future of Greenland” conference being held May 19-20, which will explore how the island can improve its economy, including through its extensive natural resources such as oil and rare earth minerals.