PM: Leaked meeting notes harm our reputation

Foreign authorities planning to travel to the Faroes for negotiations with the government may hold back for fear of confidentiality breaches.

So says Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen, who believes the recent leak of two secret meetings between Faroese and Chinese authorities has damaged the reputation of the Faroes regarding future international negotiations.

Reporting ban

The meetings took place on 11 November, and Kringvarp Føroya received a reporting ban on the contents of the meeting, although it had attained a sound clip which detailed the particulars of the meeting.

Two days after the reporting ban was issued, Danish newspaper Berlingske published a transcription of the sound clip. In the clip, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Trade informed the trade minister that the Chinese Ambassador to Denmark, Feng Tie, had told Faroese ministers that if the Føroya Tele/Huawei agreement to work together on developing a 5G network in the Faroes is finalised, there would be nothing in the way of establishing a free trade deal between the two nations.

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Joensen also told the minister that if the deal with Huawei falls through, there would be no talk of a possible free trade deal with China.

Later in the short sound bite, Joensen said that he understood from Faroese and Danish authorities that it would probably be best if the Faroese opted out of the Chinese 5G solution.

Toward the end of the clip, Joensen adds that the Prime Minister had made it clear that the Faroese government will not interfere with the decision on who will provide the equipment for a 5G network.

Translated by prosa.fo