26-06-2012 | China interested in the Faroe Islands
The Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands took the opportunity to meet with high-level Chinese authorities when they visited the Danish royal family recently. At the meeting, representatives for the Chinese government and Chinese trade and industry expressed great interest in the Faroe Islands and the search for oil in the Faroese continental shelf.
Following this, China recently sent a delegation to the Faroe Islands to explore potential areas of collaboration between the two countries.
When the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands, Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen, met prominent members of the Chinese government and high-level Chinese business people, they expressed a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for the Faroe Islands. They were particularly interested in the resources in the sea and the potential natural resources in the Faroese subsoil.
Kaj Leo Holm Johannesen told them about the exciting oil explorations taking place in the Faroese continental shelf. He also explained that the platform that is currently getting ready to drill an important well into the Faroese subsoil is Chinese.
To follow up on their early interest in the Faroe Islands, China recently sent a delegation to visit the Faroe Islands and meet with Faroese authorities and business representatives. During the visit, the Chinese delegation focused specifically on the fish-farming industry.
Johan Dahl, Minister of Trade and Industry, took the opportunity to discuss other matters as well with the Chinese visitors. Most importantly, he informed them about the search for oil and gas in the continental shelf.
Other issues were also discussed, such as the opportunities for developing more collaboration in the tourism exchange between the Faroe Islands and China, new energy projects in the Faroe Islands, the planned Faroese innovation centre, and the possibility that China could use the Faroe Islands as a transhipment destination once it becomes possible to sail through the Northwest Passage. The Chinese delegation arranged to forward this information to the relevant Chinese authorities.
At the end of the visit, the Minister of Trade and Industry announced his intention to send a Faroese delegation to China to further discuss the future collaboration between the countries. This initiative was welcomed by the Chinese delegation, and the preparations for the visit are now in progress.
The Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands has also expressed interest in establishing Faroese representations in China and Russia.
‘We are looking into the possibilities of establishing representations in Moscow and Beijing since there are growing markets for Faroese products in these countries. There is a good possibility that Russia and China will become important markets for us in the future’, says Kaj Leo Hom Johannesen, Prime Minister.
In addition to this, the Prime Minister is thinking about sending a delegation of business people to China to research the possibilities of developing more exportation of Faroese products to China. The Faroe Islands undertook a similar initiative in India a few years ago.
(Source: oljan.fo and vmr.fo)
(Photo: smyrilline.fo)
Subscribe to Newsletter
