Danish parliament holds first reading of Greenland defense agreement-Xinhua - 新华网

OSLO, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Denmark's parliament has completed the first reading of a trilateral defense agreement on Greenland, according to a statement published on the parliament's website on Friday.

The Danish parliament held the first reading Thursday and referred the agreement to its Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The final vote is scheduled for Nov. 19, when the pact returns to the floor for a second reading.

Greenland's parliament, known as Inatsisartut, approved the U.S.-Denmark-Greenland agreement on Nov. 3, with 16 votes in favor, none against and seven abstentions.

Denmark, Greenland and the United States signed the agreement at the UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 22. It updates the 1951 agreement on the defense of Greenland and outlines the terms of U.S. military access to the island.

The agreement allows the United States to modernize its existing Pituffik Space Base and provides for additional defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, subject to further agreement. It also includes provisions on environmental protection and foreign investment in sensitive sectors.

The agreement will enter into force once the required parliamentary procedures are completed and the United States is formally notified. ■