Canada and Denmark ended a years-long “war” over sovereignty over the desert and the uninhabited island of Hans in the Arctic on Tuesday.
The two countries formally signed an agreement to share Hans Island off northwest Greenland, creating the first land border between Canada and Europe, during a ceremony in Ottawa attended by Canadian and Danish foreign ministers. Under the agreement reached after 49 years of disputes, the island will be divided into two parts, and the agreement between Ottawa and Copenhagen has been seen as a model for resolving regional conflicts around the world.
“The Arctic is a beacon of international cooperation where the rule of law reigns,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie told AFP.
“With global security at stake, democracies like Canada and Denmark need more than ever to work together, side by side with indigenous peoples, to resolve our differences in accordance with international law,” she added. During a joint press conference with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, she said that the conflict, “which many have called the ‘Whiskey War’, was the friendliest of wars.”
Kofud said the conflict is being resolved at a time when “the international order based on law is under pressure” and when “democratic values are under attack”, referring to the war in Ukraine. “In turn, we have shown how long-standing conflicts can be resolved peacefully,” he said, adding that he hoped to “inspire other countries to follow the same path.”
Hans Island, with an area of 1.3 square kilometers, is located between Ellesmere Island in northern Canada and Greenland in Denmark. The dispute over the island dates back to 1973, when a maritime border was drawn between the two countries.
