In 2002, Nana Flensburg was part of a Danish military crew that stood on the cliff to perform a flag-raising ceremony. The Politiken newspaper on Tuesday quote her as saying in her diary that “among the stones in the cairns were lots of bottles, glasses, etc. with documents that informed about previous visits to the island.”
The agreement enters into force after the two countries’ internal procedures have been completed. In Denmark, the Parliament must first give its consent to the agreement.
“It’s a win for Canada. It’s a win for Denmark,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said, while alluding to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We’re showing other countries how territorial disputes can be resolved … What we’re saying to President Putin is, ‘We have the best way to settle disputes.’”
The two foreign ministers also exchanged bottles of whiskey.
Although both countries have sent warships to the island, there was never any risk of a shooting war. Both sides resolved to settle the problem peacefully and talks began in 2005.
The agreement means the United States will no longer be the only country with which Canada shares a land border.
“We now have a border with the E.U,” Joly said.
It also settles maritime boundaries around the island which could have grown in importance as global warming in the Northwest Passage could open the channels of Canada’s Arctic islands and shorten the voyage from Europe to the Far East. The United States, Canada, Russia, Denmark and Norway have been staking claims in the Arctic.
The settlement also gives indigenous access and rights of use to Hans island.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
