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Adrian Humphreys
National Post

March 30, 2004

Canada's top remaining diplomat in Denmark was called before the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday to discuss the disputed territory of Hans Island, a barren rock in the high Arctic.

Brian Herman, charge d'affaires of Canada's diplomatic mission in Copenhagen, was asked by officials about his country's intentions in the spat, recently inflamed by Danish sailors occupying the island during regular Arctic patrols.

Mr. Herman's response was that "it is not Canada's intention to stir up a tempest in a teapot," said Reynald Doiron, spokesman for Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs. "We want to keep an open mind on this and yes, we would be ready to resume discussions on the issue but there has been no definite agenda set," he said.

Peter Taksoe-Jensen, head of international public law with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the issue is not in danger of becoming an international incident. "The solution of the dispute over Hans Island is not going to be a military solution in the sense that Denmark is going to post military on the island or anything of that kind," Mr. Taksoe-Jensen said from Copenhagen.

"It is going to be a negotiated solution where Canada and Denmark sit together at the table at some stage when we come to this issue and find a solution."

Although he played down the presence of a Danish warship -- which has made repeated visits to the island with its sailors occupying the island and even unfurling the red and white flag of Denmark over it -- Mr. Taksoe-Jensen could not rule out further visits.

"Since we think of it as part of Danish territory, we feel officials have that right. It is only natural that Danish officials go there from time to time."

He said Copenhagen would take issue if Canada also landed soldiers on the island.

Canada has not had an ambassador in Denmark since Alfonso Gagliano was recalled by Paul Martin in the wake of the advertising scandal involving Mr. Gagliano's former government ministry.

The National Post has highlighted the dispute between Canada and Denmark over the tiny, desolate, ice-bound island as one of four international boundary disputes prompting concerns over the nation's ability to maintain sovereignty of its vast northern region.

The issue was also raised in Parliament, with Stockwell Day, the Conservative party's foreign affairs critic, calling on the government to fill Mr. Gagliano's post and for the restoration of military funding to help retain Arctic sovereignty.

"The nation of Denmark has laid claim to Canadian territory. Its military, from its warship, hoisted its flag on our Arctic territory without permission, without warning, and without any fear of being stopped," Mr. Day said on Friday.

"The government's utter disarray is underlined by the fact that the scandal has led to the recall of our ambassador to Denmark, the very nation that is challenging our sovereignty," Mr. Day said.

Aileen Carroll, Minister for International Co-operation, said Canada will continue to defend its interests.

"Hans Island constitutes part of the national territory of Canada. No assertion by the Danish ambassador or other Danish officials detracts from the absolute sovereignty that Canada enjoys over Hans Island," she said, repeating the official statement of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Day said the issue highlights the military's weakness.

"This embarrassing situation shows that the Prime Minister was wrong when he was underfunding our national defence while he was finance minister ... and he is wrong today in leaving Canada exposed and embarrassed," he said in Parliament.

David Pratt, the Minister of National Defence, defended the government's record.

"A significant amount of money has been put into the navy over the last number of years. Since this government took over, significant investments have been made in the armed forces overall.... We are continuing to rebuild the Canadian Forces," he said.