Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: First of all welcome Mister President Macron. Welcome Prime Minister. I am very happy and honored to receive you here in Nuuk for a visit.

We have had a really good day. We have been in the fjord, to see the ice cap, to see how the climate change has affected Greenland. In Greenland we are people living by the coast so the environmental changes have huge impact on us. And I'm glad and grateful I could show that to my colleagues here, because we have to do something. I also appreciate that we could talk more concrete about the possibilities for stronger cooperation both within our countries but also in terms of the European Union.

We are a land with a lot of opportunity, both in we have a lot of resources we can exploit and if we do it well and if we cooperate well we it could benefit us all very much. I’m also beyond grateful for getting the chance to greet you and express Greenland's gratitude towards the strong support France has shown the Greenlandic people throughout the last couple of months. We know that you personally Mister President you have been active supporting Greenland and the kingdom in these challenging times. From the government of Greenland and the Greenlandic people I would like to express our gratitude. We live in a time where we have it's a strange time for us in Greenland we live on some democratic principle build it up for many years. Respect for international law, respect for borders respect for law of the sea and we are glad you could stand with us to state that those principles are very important thank you.

I'm looking forward to a future where we can make even stronger partnerships and be more concrete about project and possibilities in Greenland we strongly want to work more together and I feel that this could be a very good stepping stone in doing that. Thank you. Thank you and now I will I will give the word to you Mister President.

Præsident Macron: Thank you Mister Prime Minister, Madame Prime Minister. Ladies and gentlemen let me first thank the Greenland authorities for this warm welcome and let me thank you Madame Prime Minister for having organized this this trip few weeks after the state visit of your King and your Queen in France and it's still very great memories and let me tell you how moved we are with my delegation by the beauty of this land and the warmth of your welcome. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

[fransk]

Præsident Macron: With you at this invitation of your authorities for us convey a very clear message of European solidarity towards Denmark Greenland and people of Greenland. A message of respect for your sovereignty and respect for your choices, choice of security economic and social development sustainable monitoring of your natural resources. A message of support for your territorial integrity, your borders. In a few words, everybody think in France, in the European Union, that Greenland is not to be sold not to be taken.

We had very fruitful exchanges with Mister Prime Minister and Madame Prime Minister about strategic issues in arctic and obviously security and the posture of our great challengers, Russia, China. The increasing cooperation between these two powers in the region and elsewhere and the fact that we want to clearly stand with you in order to face these challenges. And France is ready to increase its cooperation with the seven allies of the Arctic especially in the framework of the Arctic Council and in the framework of the NB8, with the eight Nordic and Baltic countries and clearly NATO is a place where this coordination and interoperability is seriously organized. Let me tell you, that I conveyed the message of availability to your authorities to do more in terms of common exercises in order to improve the security and this operations to increase our capacities as well but as well to increase economic cooperation and do much more in terms of education, university cooperation and concrete project on from the economic point of view and energy point of view.

[fransk]

Præsident Macron: And France is available to do much more. This is why we will open a new general consulate here in Nuuk. To be closer to you and alongside you.

A few minutes ago we saw very clearly together the direct impact of climate change here as well. And let me tell you that facing these challenges we are ready as well to do much more together. the new Maritime roads in the great north should be preserved and the region should be preserved as well from any type of conflictuality and any type of overexploitations by other powers. Few days ago we were together in the United Nation conference for the oceans in Nice and we open precisely the decade for science for the cryosphere in order to increase our research before for glass and post and precisely to improve our answer for climate change. And 10 years after Paris agreement we see here very clearly that we have to follow up our efforts and to do much more again together. Your research strategy offer as well new opportunities for cooperation and we will follow up as Europeans and French in order to improve our cooperation on the Arctic and climate change in the region and we are ready to strengthen the scientific cooperation with you.

[fransk]

Præsident Macron: European Union stands together with Greenland as well. European Union is ready to accelerate and deliver concrete results in energy and low carbon energy in infrastructure, education, sustainable fishing activities and critical mineral and rare earth. And clearly we do believe that we now have to accelerate the implementation of the strategic partnership signed two years ago in order to have concrete investment and to be part of the economic development of Greenland. The situation in Greenland is clearly a wakeup call for all the Europeans and let me tell you very directly that you are not alone. And when a strategic message is sent to you I want just for you to know that it's clearly perceived by the Europeans as targeting a European land and this flag you have here is our common flag and we know our common values and we know our long-standing choices and this is why it's very important for French people and all the European people to convey very clearly this message of solidarity and the fact that we stand with you now for today and for tomorrow. Thank you very much again Mister Prime Minister, Madame Prime Minister for your welcome for allowing me and offering me this great honor to be with you in this so beautiful landscape, in this wonderful country and I'm very moved and very happy to be with you today and to tell you that we will do even much more together, believe me. Thank you so much. Vive la Grønland. Vive la Danmark. Thank you.

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: Thank you, and now Prime Minister.

Statsminister Mette Frederiksen: Dear Jens Frederik, first of all thank you for hosting this visit it is always a great pleasure to be in Greenland, this beautiful country in the Arctic defined by its proud and brave people and longstanding traditions. And to you Mister President dear Emmanuel a deepfelt thank you for coming to Greenland, thank you for being here side by side with us thank you for your unwavering support. France has been a close ally and a dear friend to the Kingdom of Denmark for many years and true friendship is defined by loyalty, solidarity and support in good times as well as more challenging times. France and the Kingdom of Denmark share the this kind of friendship and I think dear Emanuel that your visit to Greenland today is a testament to unity of and in Europe. Our strong will to protect what we believe in, democracy, freedom territorial integrity and the right of any country to choose its own future. And in this time of in history with so much uncertainty with a war going on in Europe we must take on that responsibility by not standing by but acting. And France is taking a leading role together with other strong European nation gives me hope and it makes me optimistic for the future and for the Europe that we believe in.

This visit has given us a chance to discuss some of the security challenges in the Arctic region. The importance of the Arctic has increased due to the tense relations between Russia, China and us in the West. In recent years Russia has expanded their military capabilities in the region, where China is also seeking to establish a military presence in the future. This challenge all of us to an extent few believed possible just a few years ago. And we have been clear in stating that we wish of course to work with the US also to strengthen security in the Arctic, but of course cooperation has to take place in a respectful manner.

We agree all of us that Europe cannot be a bystander to the challenges in front of us. We have to rearm Europe. We have to continue our strong support for Ukraine and we have to strengthen our common security on the eastern flank and here in the Arctic. We are already present with military capabilities and we are of course willing to take on a greater responsibility of our security here in the high north along with our good NATO allies. And therefore I would like to thank you France for the strong and concrete presence in the high north already, including recently with naval ships along the coast of Greenland

And to Jens-Frederik, chairman of Naalakkersuisuts and to the people of Greenland thank you for hosting us. Thank you for openly showing us not only the beauty of your country, but also the challenges that you are facing and the ways to solve it.

Mister President on behalf of the Kingdom of Denmark thank you for your leadership for guiding the fundamental principles we have fought together to obtain. Principles we are now fighting to protect and we will not give in because that is not who we are and that is not how we can let the world develop. We will continue to stand with our back straight we know what we stand for and our allies do too.

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: Thank you. Thank you Prime Minister. Thank you Mister President. Now for questions, first KNR.

Journalist, KNR: A question for the French president. How will this visit to Greenland affect your conversation with Donald Trump at the G7 and what will you say to him?

Præsident Macron: Look, I informed him about this trip and I think it makes clear that the Europeans are ready to face the challenges we are and we have here. Meaning climate change, economic development and strategic challenges, but at the same time it provides a message that we are ready, all of us to take our responsibilities in a respectful and cooperative way.

So I will follow up tomorrow and I will tell him that we have the chance all together, if we are respectful, listen to and cooperate and just do what was done years ago in order to address this challenges and I think this is the only way to move forward. So I will just be extremely accurate and enthusiastic about Greenland and I will speak because I saw it myself and we had a very fruitful discussion going into details regarding the key challenges of the future for Greenland and trying to engage again this is it. And I'm optimistic because I think there is a way forward in order to clearly build a better future in cooperation and not it provocation or confrontation.

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: Thank you, Radio France International

[fransk]

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: Thank you, TV2.

Journalist, TV2: Mister President, the Pentagon is drawing up contingency plans for a possible takeover of Greenland, the US defense minister said the other day how did that make you feel?

Præsident Macron: Look I don't understand exactly what it means and how it could work, because you cannot occupy the territory of an ally and my perception, and it seems it's largely confirmed, is that people here are united and they don't want. So, nobody is calling for an occupation or a special operation and I'm very careful with a special operation, if I may.

So, I think if there is the willingness to deal with the current strategic challenges in the Arctic region this is clearly a vision we can share but the method is not the right one. The method should be to engage with a sovereign country for its territory, so to engage with the Greenland authorities, with the Kingdom of Denmark and to work very closely with the other nations engaged in very regular operations in this region to clearly protect the territory and face existing and potential challenges. But I don't believe once again that you can fix a strategic threat by threatening your ally. This is inconsistent.

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: Sermitsiaq.

Journalist, Sermitsiaq: I have a question for both Macron and Jens-Frederik Nielsen. You've been to the glacier just before and seen the consequences of the climate change, what were the impressions that you had from that trip? And you also said that you want to initiate a cooperation with the Greenlandic universities in research for climate change, but what other concrete initiatives do you plan to move and make in Greenland that would benefit the Greenlandic society and the rest of the world?

Præsident Macron: Thank you. I think the impression we had, the feeling we got is this feeling of both beauty and vulnerability and that this landscape and this these places we thought beautiful forever are definitely threatened by climate change. And we do see in front of us the direct consequences of past and sometimes present actions.

This is why I do confirm that we want to step up our scientific cooperation on climate change artic and cryosphere. Second we want to participate to very concrete economic project and we are totally available and ready to develop some economic project on hydroelectricity which is a very positive project in order to create value here and to reduce the oil and gas component of your energy electrical mix and EDF has the capacities to do so and could be a relevant partner for this hydroelectric project. And third we are as well ready to be part of your mapping and the collect of data for all the mining projects, because these mining projects are critical in order to develop renewable energies and as well new mobility and so on if you go from titan to graphite and so on and it was very clearly mentioned by authorities that you do need more data to be collected and this is as well a topic on which we want to increase the partnership with the BRGM, which is a French body in charge of these questions. Third we are as well available through our companies to be part of this project developing new economic opportunities for the territory

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: I will just state that we had a wonderful trip and I was glad and happy that I could show the impact of the climate change, how the ice cap has been melting and how it affects the Greenlandic people because we live by and off the sea all of us. And that means that we have to do something about emission worldwide and there we can also be a we can be a player because we have potential in renewable energy and so on. And I'm really happy that we can have those discussions of course we have to be more concrete in the future but I think this was a really good stepping stone and I want to appreciate those conversations today. Thank you. Then, TF1.

[fransk]

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: Thank you. DR.

Journalist, DR: Do you truly see Donald Trump, the US, as an ally today and would you be ready from France to protect the Greenland with military, if ever those are not only words and threats but Trump decides actually to invade?

Præsident Macron: Look, I do believe that the United States of America remains engaged in NATO and our key and historical alliances. It happens we have disagreements and we have to deal with them, but they are still an ally.

My point is that as Europeans we have to increase our strategic autonomy, which doesn't mean that we have to withdraw from the existing partnership, but that we have to reduce our dependency especially towards this ally. Because having an ally doesn't mean you want to depend on him it means you want to work genuinely and positively with him. And this is why I believe it will take a decade, not a year, but we have to engage and accelerate the concrete efforts we are making in all the different fields in order to improve our strategic autonomy. And let me be clear Greenland is part of it, when you look at the potential of minerals rare earth you have here on this territory, the Europeans would be crazy not to protect this area. For Greenland, for Kingdom of Denmark and in sovereignty, but as well for the European interest. I will be very clear, because here we have some of the resources of our autonomy for today and tomorrow.

Now I always hate elaborating some crazy scenario, because the world is sufficiently crazy for all of us and dealing with the day-to-day life is sufficient for my imagination. But what we should do, very concretely, is to increase the common exercises we have with other Nordic and Baltic states, by the way with Canada with even with the US, but common and cooperative exercises to work together to improve the security of this region, Greenland but as well the security and the safety of the Arctic region, because I think this is just our common good. And this is my answer to your question re-engaging doing more doing more ourselves offering the others the US included to do more with us and not to be confrontational. And I wouldn't start elaborating on “what if”-scenario publicly because I don't believe that at the end the US which is an ally and a friend will never do something aggressive against another ally.

Landsstyreformand Jens-Frederik Nielsen: Thank you Mister president and thank you all for coming today.