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1 Welcome Speech to the Government of Greenland's New Year

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1 Welcome Speech to the Government of Greenland's New Year Welcome speech to the Government of Greenland’s New Year Reception Copenhagen January 12, 2017 Premier Kim Kielsen (The spoken word applies) Dear Ministers, Excellency’s, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honour for me to be your host today, and on behalf of the government I want to thank you for our friendship and for the good cooperation we have had with you over the past year. I hope that you started the New Year on a good note, and that 2017 will be a good and prosperous year for Greenland and for our partners in Denmark and abroad. Regrettably we have once again seen that innocent people have been the victim of terrorism towards democracy and freedom in Istanbul and Berlin. In this regard I wish to extend the sympathy of Naalakkersuisut to the people who have lost their loved ones, and to those who have been hurt by these attacks, as well as our solidarity with these countries who have been the casualty of the depravity of terrorism. Our democratic rights are our strength, and we must defend it - together. The year 2016 has put special focus on our children in Greenland. But in reality, every year ought to be dedicated to the children. Our children are our future. Today we are moving the stumbling stones away from the road to independence, one by one. Our children are the ones to walk on that path that we are preparing for them. Step by step we work towards an independent Greenland. The goal is to put Greenland among the nations of the world as a full and equal member. One of the preparations towards this goal is the establishment of a Constitutional Commission, which will be realized this year. But independence will not happen overnight or the day after tomorrow. There are certain people who wish to put a date on our independence. I myself do not. It must take the time it requires to raise our country in terms of increased education, socially and not least in terms of economic development. When we have done so, that our children and grandchildren will have reached a firm foundation to take a position on the future of Greenland. Education must continue to create the necessary foundation for our development towards a strong Greenland. Education will create prosperity and provide greater freedom for the individual. This will also ensure our continued development, and for our young people to be assured opportunities in our country. At the same time we shall develop growth industries such as the mining industry as well as tourism. Investment in the infrastructure in Greenland has commenced. A new runway in Qaqortoq in South Greenland and expansion of airports to international airports in the country's capital Nuuk and Ilulissat in Northern Greenland is underway. The work is on schedule and we look forward to the new opportunities that the new runways will bring, both locally and in terms of traffic to and from Greenland. 1 The international mining industry has been through some very tough years, with decreasing prices and declining investments. Fortunately, we now see signs that prices of raw materials are on the increase. It rubs off on the interest to explore and exploit minerals in Greenland. When mining projects are developed, it is rarely without bumps in the road. But we hope to see the ruby mine in West Greenland go into production this year. From the Government of Greenland we are pleased to see that the project is now on track. We also expect to see a new anorthosite mine in West Greenland go into production before the end of this year. Other exciting projects have been given an exploitation license and we hope to see these projects become a reality. But we know from experience: An exploitation license alone does not suffice. There are many factors that need to fall into place before a mining project becomes a reality. A look back at 2016 shows that we have had a year of economic prosperity in Greenland, and it looks set to continue. The fishing sector is experiencing good times, both in terms of prices and volumes. We will continue with a responsible policy for quota setting, with a balance between short-term and long-term considerations. We need to maintain a sustainable use of resources. But we must ensure production, exports and jobs. We still have an unemployment rate, which should be lower, especially in regards to the young people. More and more people come into work, but there are still too many who are unemployed. In line with the increased focus on climate change the world's interest for Greenland is rising. The Government makes an effort to create opportunities and cooperation within trade, mineral resources and education. As a natural part of the effort, Greenland has established its own representations in countries that are important to our cooperation and in the development of Greenland, in places such as Copenhagen, Brussels and Washington DC. Coinciding with this, we see a growing number of consulates in Greenland, where both Nordic, European and Asian countries are represented. This clearly shows that there is a genuine interest to follow our development and a desire to promote the development of economic, cultural and scientific relations between us. I am very pleased about this. In the fall I had the opportunity to form a new and inclusive government and thus form a renewed basis for our political work. I believe that in the current situation, Greenland is best served with a broad political cooperation, such as the one we have entered into between the political parties Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Partii Naleraq. Together, we represent about 80% of voters from the last election. I am proud of the fact that the parties behind our Government coalition have shown the format to put cooperation and common will at focus, instead of focusing on disagreements and pursue the goals that we agree on. This is necessary if you want to create cooperation and achievement in the political work. Cooperation is the key, whether it is to achieve results within the country, or whether it is in the relationship between countries. Concluding with these words, I thank you for joining us in this reception and I wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year. 2 .
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