Danish foreign policy is founded upon four cornerstones: the United Nations, NATO, the EU, and Nordic cooperation. Denmark also is a member of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; the World Trade Organization (WTO); the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE); the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); the Council of Europe; the Nordic Council; the Baltic Council; and the Barents Council. Denmark emphasizes its relations with developing nations and contributes 0.8% of GNP to development assistance.[1] In the wake of the Cold War, Denmark has been active in international efforts to integrate the countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the West. It has played a leadership role in coordinating Western assistance to the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). The country is a strong supporter of international peacekeeping. Danish forces were heavily engaged in the former Yugoslavia in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR), with IFOR, and now SFOR. Denmark also strongly supported American operations in Afghanistan and has contributed both monetarily and materially to the ISAF. Following World War II, Denmark ended its two-hundred year long policy of neutrality. Denmark has been a member of NATO since its founding in 1949, and membership in NATO remains highly popular. There were several serious confrontations between the U.S. and Denmark on security policy in the so-called "footnote era" (1982-88), when a hostile parliamentary majority forced the government to adopt specific national positions on nuclear and arms control issues. With the end of the Cold War, however, Denmark has been supportive of U.S. policy objectives in the Alliance. Denmark is not a member of the Western European Union but does hold observer status. Danes have enjoyed a reputation as "reluctant" Europeans. When they rejected ratification of the Maastricht Treaty on June 2, 1992, they put the EC's plans for the European Union on hold. In December 1992, the rest of the EC agreed to exempt Denmark from certain aspects of the European Union, including a common defense, a common currency, EU citizenship, and certain aspects of legal cooperation. The Amsterdam Treaty was approved in the referendum of May 28, 1998. In the autumn of 2000, Danish citizens rejected membership of the Euro currency group in a referendum. [edit] Disputes - international - Rockall. A continental shelf dispute involving Iceland, Ireland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
- Hans Island. An island located between Greenland and Canadian Arctic islands. Unresolved boundary disputed between Canada and Denmark (Denmark controls Greenland's foreign relations). This dispute flared up again in July 2005 following the visit of a Canadian minister to the disputed island.
- North Pole. Denmark is trying to prove that the North Pole is geographically connected to Greenland. If such proof is established, Denmark will claim the North Pole.
- Maritime border with Poland. Denmark and Poland have still not agreed on the location of the maritime border between the two countries. Denmark supports a border half-way between the two countries; Poland wants to be awarded an even greater share of the Baltic Sea. The Polish position is based on the argument that Poland owns a longer coast line than Danish island of Bornholm.
[edit] Europe | Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |  Austria | | See Foreign relations of Austria |  Belarus | | See Foreign relations of Belarus |  Bulgaria | | See Bulgaria–Denmark relations |  Cyprus | | See Foreign relations of Cyprus |  Czech Republic | | See Foreign relations of the Czech Republic |  Estonia | 1991-08-24 | |  Finland | 1918-02-18 | - Denmark recognised Finland's independence on January 10, 1918.
- Finland has an embassy in Copenhagen and three honorary consulates general in Copenhagen, Tórshavn (Faroe Islands) and Nuuk (Greenland) and other honorary consulates in Esbjerg, Fredericia, Frederikshavn, Helsingør, Herning, Odense, Rønne, Svendborg, Vejle, Aalborg and Aarhus.
- Denmark has an embassy in Helsinki.[6]
- Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, of the European Union, and of the Nordic Council.
- Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland about relations with Denmark
|  France | | |  Greece | | |  Hungary | | |  Iceland | | See Denmark–Iceland relations Iceland was a part of the Kingdom of Denmark from 1814 to 1918 and a separate kingdom in a personal union with Denmark until 1944, when Iceland declared independence. Denmark has an embassy in Reykjavík. Iceland has an embassy in Copenhagen. |  Ireland | 1920s | |  Italy | | |  Kosovo | 2008-02-21 | Denmark recognized Kosovo on 21 February 2008.[18] Ambassador of Denmark to Kosovo, subordinate to the Embassy in Vienna, Austria from 6 March 2008.[19] |  Latvia | 1921-02-07 | |  Lithuania | 1991-08-24 | |  Luxembourg | | |  Netherlands | | |  Norway | 1905 | See Denmark–Norway relations Both countries have a very long history together, both countries were part of the Kalmar Union between 1397 and 1523. Norway was in Union with Denmark between 1537 and 1814. |  Poland | | |  Romania | 1917-04-13 | |  Russia | 1924-06-18 | See Denmark–Russia relations |  Serbia | | |  Slovakia | 1993 | |  Slovenia | 1992-01-20 | |  Sweden | | See Denmark–Sweden relations Both countries have a very long history together, both countries were part of the Kalmar Union between 1397 and 1523. There have been 11 Dano-Swedish wars between 1521 and 1814. |  Turkey | | See Danish–Turkish relations |  Ukraine | 1992 | |  United Kingdom | | See Denmark – United Kingdom relations | [edit] Americas | Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |  Armenia | | See Foreign relations of Armenia |  India | | |  Iran | | See Denmark–Iran relations In 1933, a Danish consulate was established in Tehran which was later upgraded to an embassy. Following a state visit in 1958, Iran established an embassy in Copenhagen. |  Iraq | | See Denmark–Iraq relations On March 21, 2003, the Danish Parliament made a fateful decision to support U.S. military action in Iraq and, in fact, contribute naval assets to the war. In 2006, the Iraqi Transport Minister Salam al-Malki announced freezing all economic relations with Danish and Norwegian companies in protest against insulting cartoons published in the countries newspapers.[40] |  Israel | 1949 | |  Japan | 1867 | |  Pakistan | | See Denmark–Pakistan relations - Pakistan has an embassy in Copenhagen.
- Denmark has an embassy in Islamabad.
|  People's Republic of China | | See Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China |  South Korea | 1959-03-31 | |  Syria | 1992-08-29 | See Denmark–Syria relations - Denmark is represented in Syria through its embassy in Damascus.
- Syria has an embassy in Copenhagen.
|  Thailand | 1858 | |  Vietnam | 1971-11-25 | See Denmark–Vietnam relations - Since April 1, 1994, Denmark has an embassy in Hanoi.
- Since August 12, 2000, Vietnam has an embassy in Copenhagen.
- There are around 8,500 Vietnamese living in Denmark.
| [edit] Rest of world [edit] See also [edit] References [edit] External links |
