Europe and Canada have their first land border after 'whisky war' deal
Canada and Denmark finally ended their decades-long "war" on Tuesday, fought over flags, whisky and schnapps on an uninhabited island in the high Arctic.
The two countries formally signed an agreement to share Hans Island off northwest Greenland, creating the first land border between Canada and Europe, at a ceremony in Ottawa attended by the Canadian foreign minister and her Danish counterpart.
The dispute, which has been at a benign impasse for 49 years, will see the kidney-shaped island split in two and the agreement between Ottawa and Copenhagen held up as a model for resolving territorial disputes around the world.
"The Arctic serves as a beacon of international cooperation, where the rule of law prevails," said Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.
"At a time when global security is threatened, it has never been more important for democracies like Canada and Denmark to work together, alongside indigenous peoples, to resolve our differences in accordance with international law," she added.
At a press conference with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, she stressed that the conflict - "which many have dubbed the 'whisky war'" - was "the friendliest of all wars".
Kofod said that the resolution of the conflict came at a time when "the international order based on law is under pressure", and democratic values are "under attack", referring to the war in Ukraine.
"In contrast, we have demonstrated how long-standing disputes can be resolved peacefully by following the rules," he said, adding that he hoped to "inspire other countries to follow the same path".
Hans Island, which covers 1.3 square kilometres, is located between Ellesmere Island in northern Canada and Greenland, a Danish territory. The dispute dates back to 1973
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