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Denmark

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Last reviewed: 27 June 2008

Country information

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Relations with Neighbours

Denmark has close relations and historical links with its Nordic neighbours. Denmark co-operates closely with its Nordic neighbours, formally in economic and social matters through the Nordic Council of Ministers and informally in political matters through direct consultation.

Denmark has also been active in international efforts to integrate the countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the West. It played a leadership role in co-ordinating Western assistance to the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and supporting their accession to the European Union.

Relations with the International Community

Danish wider foreign policy is founded upon four cornerstones: the United Nations, NATO, the EU, and Nordic co-operation. Denmark also is a member of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; the World Trade Organisation (WTO); the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE); the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); the Council of Europe; the Nordic Council; the Baltic Council; and the Barents Council. Denmark emphasises its relations with developing nations and is one of the few countries to exceed the UN goal of contributing 0.7% of GNP as official development assistance.

The country is a strong supporter of international peacekeeping. Danish forces were heavily engaged in the former Yugoslavia in the UN Protection Forces (SFOR and KFOR), and remain deployed in Kosovo. They are also deployed in Southern Afghanistan and (until recently) in Iraq.

Denmark has been a member of NATO since its founding in 1949, and membership in NATO remains highly popular. The Danes are assisting multi-national forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Relations with the UK

The relationship between the UK and Denmark is close (eg in NATO and the EU). 50,000 Danes live in the UK and 13,000 UK citizens live in Denmark. Queen Margrethe II is a cousin of HM Queen Elizabeth.

Cultural Relations with the UK

The British Council in Denmark encourages exchanges between Britain and Denmark in the arts, education, science and society. It focuses on events that encourage the development of networks of people and which provide participants with opportunities to share experience and expertise in key priority areas: Britain in Europe, social inclusion and diversity, and the environment, including climate change.

British Council: Denmark

Recent Visits

Inward
  • 14 May 2007: Employment Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen visited the UK.
  • 17 June 2007: Minister for Science and Innovation Helge Sander visited the UK.
  • 25-26 June 2007: Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller visited the UK.
  • 10 October 2007: Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited the UK
  • 31 January 2008: Agriculture Minister, Eva Kjær Hansen visited the UK
  • 5-7 March 2008: Danish Defence Commission visited the UK
Outward
  • 28-29 February 2008: FCO Minister for Trade, Lord Digby Jones visited Copenhagen
  • 14 February 2008: Cabinet Office Minister, Ed Miliband visited Copenhagen
  • 21 January 2008: Minister for Consumer Protection, Gareth Thomas visited Copenhagen
  • 9-10 December 2007: Bruce Crawford, Minister for Parliamentary Business, Scottish Executive, visited Copenhagen.
  • 18-19 September 2007: PM Special Representative on Climate Change, Elliott Morley, visited Copenhagen.
  • 11-12 June 2007: Minister of State for Children and Families, Rt Hon Beverly Hughes, visited Copenhagen.
  • 4-5 June 2007: Lord Mayor of City of London, Alderman John Stuttard, visited Copenhagen.
  • 7-9 May 2007: as Minister of State for Employment & Welfare, Jim Murphy visited Copenhagen.
  • 28 November 2006: the then Prime Minister Tony Blair met Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Copenhagen.

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