Landry visited Heinrich: - I said what I wanted to say

In the terraced house area in Radiofjeldet in Nuuk, the couple Arnaq and Nikolaj Heinrich have lived in the same apartment for 55 years.

As a large family with many acquaintances, they are used to having visitors. But today's guest is unusual. It is the governor of Louisiana and Donald Trump's special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, who is coming to visit.

The visit was supposed to take place yesterday afternoon, but Landry did not show up, citing busy schedules. This morning, however, the couple received a call saying that the guests wanted to come by at 11 a.m.

Before the guests arrived, Sermitsiaq was given access to the home, where the radio was on and the smell of coffee still hung in the air.

Are you a little excited?

– I'm not very excited. I have met this kind of (people, ed.) before when I have traveled abroad, says Nikolaj Heinrich.

On Facebook he has continuously written that Greenland should make the best possible use of the US interest in the country. He also hopes to be able to share these views with the guest.

– Because I know Greenland so well, I would like to tell you about the great opportunities we have. Our country is rich in minerals, and there is no doubt that the sea also contains oil.

Not worried about the Americans

The long wait for the guest, which had lasted for many hours both yesterday and again today, finally seemed to pay off. Heinrich, who had been waiting outside for the scheduled arrival at 11 o'clock, went back into the house. Shortly after he entered, he received a call saying that Landry would arrive in 10 minutes – around 12 o’clock.

Aren’t you at all worried that our country might be exploited by the Americans?

– I don’t think we’re being exploited. The Americans kept a particularly close eye on our country in the 1940s during World War II. They even built several airports – in Narsarsuaq, Marraq, Kangerlussuaq and later in Avanersuaq. Kulusuk in East Greenland and other places were also established by the Americans. They did it because they were monitoring the country, says Nikolaj Heinrich and continues:

– Even though they polluted the country with fuel barrels, they were just left behind because there was no landfill and they couldn’t be burned. Unfortunately, they were left behind.

The guest finally arrives

As soon as the guest appeared, Nikolaj Heinrich went out. Jeff Landry and his wife and their entourage arrived in a group of about ten people.

Upon arrival, a handshake was made, and the governor expressed his pleasure at meeting Nikolaj Heinrich. Through Trump supporter Jørgen Boassen as an interpreter, he asked when Heinrich had been mayor and what he had worked on throughout his life.

Since Nikolaj Heinrich and his wife had already made coffee in the morning, they first let the guests talk outside before inviting them inside.

The governor and his entourage entered the house with shoes on, as if they had never been in a Greenlandic home before, and began to take pictures of everything with interest.

They were so enthralled with the home that they hardly seemed to notice that coffee had been served. While they were standing in the house's dining room, Jørgen Boassen approached Nikolaj Heinrich.

– Nikolaj, if you want to say something briefly about Trump, I can translate it, says Jørgen Boassen.

– Trump's personal manner seems a bit harsh, and that is why some Greenlanders are afraid of him. But personally I have nothing against him, because I understand that he is far-sighted. I also find his interest in our country very interesting. Greenland has many resources both on land and at sea, but much is not being exploited, says Nikolaj Heinrich. When the interpreter had finished translating, he continued:

– I have long had in the back of my mind that these resources should begin to be exploited as export goods. That is why I attach great importance to Trump’s interest in Greenland – not so much the person himself, but the interest of the great power, says Nikolaj Heinrich.

It became clear that the guests were in a hurry. Jeff Landry told Jørgen Boassen that they would come back the next morning with a package and would like to talk longer. To find out how many packages they should bring, he asked how many grandchildren the host had. Nikolaj Heinrich’s wife, who was also standing in the living room, exclaimed: “20!” The many people present in the house began to laugh, and Landry promised that they would bring more packages.

A 15-minute visit

The guests and their entourage did not even sit down, but looked curiously around the house and got ready to leave again. Jeff Landry apologized that he was busy because he had to have lunch with the ambassador and other business people.

– Unfortunately, I am about 15 minutes late, but I will be back tomorrow morning because I would like to have a longer conversation with him, Jeff Landry tells Sermitsiaq.

Why was it important for you to meet Nikolaj Heinrich?

– I would say that people like Mr. Nikolaj represent the older generation for me. They are very wise people who have experienced both the good and the bad over the decades. The best way to learn is therefore to talk to people like him, says Jeff Landry.

Although the 15-minute meeting was not the longest, the visit was still satisfactory.

Did you get to say what you wanted to say?

– I basically got to say what I wanted to say. Greenland is rich, and the sea is rich, but it is not being exploited. Because it is not being utilized, the country is almost at a standstill. That is why it is my great personal wish that it is put into use, because it is necessary for us to lift ourselves as a people, says Nikolaj Heinrich.

Whether the two men will meet again later, time will tell, but one thing is certain: Jeff Landry apparently has more plans during his visit. And his full schedule over the next two days is not yet known.