Canada, France Open Greenland Consulates as Arctic Tensions Rise
For Canada, establishing a diplomatic outpost in Nuuk signals a desire for a larger role in the fast-globalizing far north
The Icelandic consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on Feb. 4.
Photographer: Juliette Pavy/BloombergCanada’s new consulate in Greenland is a tiny, terracotta-red house co-occupied with the Icelandic government, staffed by a small team serving an expat community of about 19 Canadians and the occasional stranded tourist.
But amid renewed US expansionism, the outpost’s symbolic value far outweighs its footprint. It signals Canada’s bid for a larger role in a fast-globalizing Arctic – a point underscored by a delegation of senior officials traveling from Canada to Nuuk for Friday’s opening.