LLR Statsministerens indledende bemærkninger ved besøg fra USA's udenrigsminister Kerry

It is a great pleasure to welcome Secretary Kerry in Denmark today.

I have just received news about the death of British Member of Parliament Jo Cox. My thoughts are with her family, friends and the British people. It was a shock to me that a British politician was killed during her campaigning.

Let me also express my sincere condolences to the American people for the horrific attack in Orlando last week.

Tolerance and love was met with cruelty and violence. Contrary to our shared values.

Equal rights are cornerstones in our societies. The right to be who you are. The right to love the one you love. These are fundamental principles that cannot be suppressed.

Denmark stands shoulder to shoulder with our American friends in your grief.

The US and Denmark have a long history of working closely together. We take international responsibility when it comes to security, climate change, human rights, free trade, and tackling the migration challenge.

We are united and determined in the fight against ISIL. This is also why Denmark has stepped up our civilian and military efforts to counter ISIL.

Yesterday, the Danish F-16s were redeployed to the region. And Danish soldiers continue to train Iraqi forces enabling them to take up the fight against ISIL.

At our meeting today, we will also have a chance to discuss the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw.

NATO remains the cornerstone of both Danish and transatlantic security. Denmark will continue to deliver strong contributions to operations, exercises, and NATO's capabilities.

The summit in July will be important. We must respond to the challenges we face. And we must demonstrate solidarity. Unity in NATO’s approach to Russia will be one of the strongest signals we can send from Warsaw.

We are also committed to finding common solutions to global challenges, such as the current migration challenge and climate change.

Climate change in the Arctic is happening extremely fast and fundamentally changes living conditions in the region.

I am therefore pleased that Secretary Kerry will travel to Greenland tomorrow, where he will have a chance to witness the dramatic and very visible impact of climate change.