Jeff Landry, the US “special envoy to Greenland” will attend a business conference in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, in late May, despite not being invited by organisers, local media Sermitsiaq reports.

Donald Trump, the US president, has threatened annex Greenland – a semi-autonomous territory under Denmark – to make the island a part of the US. While Trump has rolled back threats to take over Greenland by military means after European pushback, his affiliates are still eying Greenland.

Landry, who is also governor of the US state of Louisiana, is expected to take part in a conference organised by Greenland Business Association. The organisation’s director, Christian Keldsen, said that Landry had not been invited, nor is he part of the official programme, but is attending as an ordinary participant.

“The conference has always been open to the public, and anyone can buy a guest ticket,” Keldsen said.

Jeff Landry did not immediately respond to Euractiv’s request for comment.

Landry appears on the list of participants, alongside former US Ambassador to Denmark under President Obama, Rufus Gifford. Representatives from the US Embassy in Copenhagen will also take part.

The EU’s development chief Jozef Síkela is also join and speak at the event, two people familiar with the matter told Euractiv.

Earlier this year, Landry was initially invited to attend a dog sled race in Greenland, before organisers withdrew the invitation after public pushback.

When taking on the role as envoy to Greenland in December, Landry wrote that “[it’s] an honor to serve you in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the U.S.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was meant to visit the arctic island in March, but saw the trip postponed by ongoing government negotiations in Copenhagen.

While Greenlandic and Danish authorities have said that the sovereignty of the island is absolute, negotiations about the future of the island between Copenhagen, Nuuk and Washington are ongoing.

(bw)