France announced that it is the first EU country to open a consulate in Greenland, DPA reported, quoted by dariknews.bg.
The French Foreign Ministry announced in a publication in "Ex" that Jean-Noël Poirier, the French consul general in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, has started work. He will be responsible, among other tasks, for strengthening political ties with local politicians.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for a consulate in Nuuk in June last year after US President Donald Trump said he wanted to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
The conflict over the Arctic island escalated recently when Trump threatened to annex it, refusing to rule out the use of force to do so.
At a meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos last month, Trump withdrew his threats to use military force and lifted punitive tariffs on several European countries that had opposed his efforts.
Denmark and the US are trying to find a solution through negotiations, DPA notes.