- We want to be respected for who we are – a people

It sounds like a fantastic story: Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland's former Minister for Foreign Affairs and today a non-voting member of Inatsisartut, has just participated in the annual political conference of a top-secret club, the Bilderberg Group. And most people in Greenland hardly know about it.

The meeting took place in the US capital, Washington.

- The Arctic was one of the topics in the debate at the Bilderberg meeting last weekend. I was on the panel together with, among others, Sweden's Minister of Defense Pål Jonson. And NATO's former Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, was the moderator, Vivian Motzfeldt tells Sermitsiaq.

What is your main message for the conference?

- That Greenland does not just have a geographical or geopolitical location. It is home to a people who have lived there for thousands of years.

- We want to be respected for who we are. A people. We are not Denmark, but a self-governing part of the kingdom. A people with their own language and a culture with roots thousands of years ago, explains Vivian Motzfeldt.

Greenland has powerful allies

This is the first time that a participant from Greenland has been invited to Bilderberg. Vivian Motzfeldt's presence at the Bilderberg meeting is interpreted by observers as a clear signal to the Trump administration that Greenland has powerful allies across the Atlantic.

The Bilderberg Group meeting took place at the five-star and opulent Hotel Salamander in the US capital, Washington. Both permanent members of Bilderberg and specially invited guests attended, and they came from the USA and Europe.

- It is a three-day meeting where you are intensely together, says Vivian Motzfeldt.

Shall promote dialogue between Europe and the USA

It was the 72nd meeting and political conference of the Bilderberg group, where what is going on is normally kept secret from the press.

The meeting was held at a time when the NATO alliance is in deep crisis and there is uncertainty about the alliance's future. In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from NATO.

Every year since the 1950s, an elite of politicians and business leaders, as well as other leading figures from European countries and the USA around Europe and North America, have met at Bilderberg.

Only invited guests can attend. The meetings are held behind closed doors, and no declarations are adopted.

The organization's purpose is to promote dialogue between Europe and the United States.

Tech billionaires and military leaders

Who attended this year's meetings last weekend? Yes, it ranged from prime ministers, such as Finland's President Alexander Stubb, to military leaders to tech billionaires and CEOs of giant investment companies, writes the British media The Guardian.

The media outlet reports that the head of Bilderberg and NATO, Mark Rutte, came to the Bilderberg meeting from a “very frank conversation in the White House”.

But despite Trump’s rhetoric about leaving NATO the CEOs of major American business groups, including the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, attended. They were joined by a delegation of senior politicians close to Trump. From the military, four-star general Samuel Paparo participated, among others.

Vivian Motzfeldt, what did you say about Greenland and the Arctic?

- My message was that we do not want an arms race in the Arctic. But we also do not want a power vacuum in the Arctic. We do not seek militarization as an end in itself. But we also do not accept that the power politics of others should define our future.

And what did you announce in the area of ​​security and foreign policy?

- When it comes to shaping security, we are currently at a crucial moment in history, where the security landscape is changing. It is changing rapidly, and it is changing significantly.

- Right now, the world's eyes are on security in the Arctic, but for us – for Greenland – the reality of the security challenges in the Arctic has been a necessary focus and a priority for many years.

- Climate change has affected our daily lives for years. It affects our environment, our capabilities for catching and fishing, and our traditional ways of life. As the ice continues to melt, our physical surroundings will also change, creating both new opportunities and challenges, was the message from Vivian Motzfeldt.

The rhetoric from the White House

She stated at the Bilderberg meeting that in the future, for example, new shipping and trade routes between Asia and Europe will be opened through the northern passages, and this will also make critical natural resources more accessible.

Did you also have any comments on Donald Trump's statements about taking over Greenland?

- I said that for decades Greenland has been a reliable ally and friend of the United States. We have had a US military presence in our country since World War II, and today, Pituffik Space Base in North Greenland is central to the security of both the US and Greenland. But that does not mean that Greenland needs to be under US control to ensure security.

- We have been clear from the beginning: the security of the US is our security, and our security is also the US's.

- We are proud to contribute to the security of the United States. However, the rhetoric from the White House is undermining decades of trust and friendship and is causing great concern in our society.

Vivian: - Greenland is a committed NATO ally

What did you say about the cooperation between Greenland and Greenland on defense and security policy?

- Greenland has participated in the Danish defense agreements in recent years. As a large country with a small population, Greenland has always known that we need cooperation with allied partners to address the security challenges facing the Arctic.

- Greenland is a committed NATO ally. As part of the Kingdom of Denmark, we cooperate closely on security initiatives within NATO.

- That type of cooperation is crucial when dealing with current and future security challenges. We need each other, none of us can stand alone.

- It is important to understand that security and economic robustness are inextricably linked, concludes former naalakkersuisoq Vivian Motzfelt the story of her messages at the Bilderberg conference.