Denmark, Canada in Greenland row

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 25 (UPI) -- A decades-long border dispute between Denmark and Canada has flared up after Ottawa's Defense minister paid a secret visit to a small island north of Greenland.

After his visit to the island, Minister of Defense Bill Graham said Canada had always regarded it as part of Canadian territory. This remark has caused a stir in Copenhagen, which administers Greenland's foreign policy.

"We will hand over a note to Canada in which we will express our viewpoint," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Peter Taksoe-Jensen. "Hans Island is our island."

Hans Island, which can only be reached during summer because of pack ice, has been claimed by Denmark and Canada since Arctic borders were drawn in 1973. The two countries have sent navy ships to the region and both have raised their flags on the 1/2-square-mile isle.

Despite the occasional spat over Hans Island, diplomatic relations between Denmark and Canada remain healthy.