Greenland’s parliament, Inatsisartut, has approved the agreement updating defense cooperation between Greenland, Denmark and the United States.
The official parliamentary record lists proposal EM2026/249 as “Vedtaget,” meaning adopted, following its second reading on November 3. The proposal received its first reading on October 12.
Signed in New York on September 22, the agreement amends and supplements the 1951 defense agreement and subsequent arrangements governing defense cooperation in Greenland.
In its supporting documents, Naalakkersuisut says the agreement is intended to strengthen defense and security cooperation within NATO while respecting the Greenlandic people, their way of life and their right to self-determination.
The government also describes binding environmental protections for new defense areas and a stronger requirement that the U.S. military presence benefit Greenlandic society.
For local businesses, the explanatory notes identify potential opportunities in the construction, maintenance and servicing of existing and new U.S. defense areas. They emphasize the need for Greenlandic companies to develop sufficient capacity and qualifications to carry out that work.
The agreement also requires Danish parliamentary consent. Under the procedure described in Greenland’s proposal, it will enter into force on the date of a diplomatic note notifying the United States that the necessary parliamentary procedures in Greenland and Denmark have been completed.
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