Foreign ministry left in the dark

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs demands prior notifications of drill operations carried out by NATO in Faroese waters.

The ministry has sent a protest to the Danish defence minister after an unannounced drill was conducted in Faroese waters two weeks ago.

Foreign minister Poul Michelsen says the Faroes should be given more information regarding defence-related matters in general. The foreign ministry has spent the last few years trying to improve the cooperation with Danish authorities in this field, and Michelsen is hopeful that a formal agreement will be signed this autumn.

The foreign ministry is seeking a collaboration or a kind of ‘safe space’ for discussions and information regarding defence matters. When Anders Samuelsen, the Danish foreign minister, visited the Faroes in May, he acknowledged the need for such a collaboration, and steps were taken then to improve the cooperation between the countries.

In June 2016, the Faroese foreign ministry sent the then Danish foreign minister a proposed definition of this collaboration. It states that if Denmark goes to war without prior consultation with the Faroes, Denmark goes to war without the Faroes. Furthermore, Faroese authorities should not only be consulted with and informed about military campaigns in Faroese waters, they should also have a say in decisions affecting the area.

In November 2017, the Faroese foreign ministry again sent a letter to the Danish foreign ministry with a request to improve cooperation relating to defence policy. Samuelsen’s visit in May was a big step in the right direction, says Michelsen.

Translated by prosa.fo