Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Canada was set to formally open its first diplomatic mission in Greenland, joining France, which on Friday became the first European Union state to set up a consulate-general in solidarity with Greenlanders in the wake of U.S. efforts to take over the semi-autonomous region of Denmark.
Canadian officials, including foreign minister Anita Anand and King Charles' representative in Canada, Governor General Mary Simon, who were en route with a Canadian Coast Guard escort, were expected to arrive in Nuuk, the island's capital, in time for the opening later Friday.
They will be met by Canada's representative for the island, Senior Arctic Official and Arctic Ambassador Virginia Mearns, whose brief covers a broad swath of the high north.
Canada "stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future," Simon said Tuesday in a speech during a visit to Norway's Arctic Sapmi region as part of a round of visits to northern countries, including Denmark.
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