Greenland's foreign minister takes over as Arctic Council chair

Greenland's foreign minister is the new chair of the Arctic Council as the Kingdom of Denmark takes over the position from Norway. 

Vivian Motzfeldt will be chair for the next two years, leading the council of eight Arctic countries and six permanent participants. 

Speaking at a news conference in Oslo, Norway, on Monday, Motzfeldt said she wants bring the council's work closer to people living in the region. 

She also said she hopes to balance development with preservation and protecting Indigenous rights. 

Motzfeldt takes on the role at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening to take over Greenland, something Greenland has consistently pushed back on. 

"I think we have been very clear in our politics, that we don't want to be Danes but we don't want to be Americans either," Motzfeldt said. 

She said her goal for the Arctic Council as chair is "a more resilient future for the Arctic and its peoples." 

 Espen Barth Eide, Norway's minister of foreign affairs and the previous chair of the Arctic Council, said the council remains united "despite these geopolitical issues around us." 

"What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic," he said. 

In a statement, Inuit Circumpolar Council president Sandra Olsvig said Motzfeldt's leadership places Indigenous people at the centre of Arctic governance. 

"Recognizing our rights also means seeking a common understanding of the past, the challenges of the present, and the way ahead. We have an inherent right of self-determination, and the fulfilment of our rights at all levels of governance is imperative," Olsvig said. 

Motzfeldt says the Kingdom of Denmark's leadership will have five priorities: Indigenous peoples and communities in the Arctic, sustainable economic development and energy transition solutions, oceans, Arctic climate change and biodiversity.

There are eight member nations of the Arctic Council: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States. 

Motzfeldt will stay on as chair until 2027.