The Danish Ambassador to the United States visited the western Iowa town of Elk Horn over the weekend.
Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen, Chief of Mission at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington, D.C., was the featured guest at a reception at the Museum of Danish America.
Ambassador Sørensen toured the museum, then spoke about the relationship Denmark has with the U.S. and Iowa, in particular.
“I think with each year that passes, the Danish roots grow stronger and deeper, not only in Iowa, but also throughout the United States as a whole,” Sørensen says. “Our alliance testifies to a shared history and to a genuine friendship that has only grown closer through generations.”
Sørensen spoke about our two countries sharing agricultural and technological advancements, and his trade delegation of wind energy equipment suppliers visited Des Moines last Thursday, and met with Governor Kim Reynolds.
“We talked with her about some of the opportunities for stronger partnerships. What is it that the Danish companies can offer? There are challenges where we need more innovative solutions, high-tech solutions and so on,” Sørensen says. “So that was a very fruitful day where we did a lot with bringing together commercial activities.”
Sørensen called the United States Denmark’s most important ally. The strength of that relationship, he says, is the basis for continued economic and commercial ties between the two countries.
“Today, almost 2,300 jobs in this state alone is a direct result of our relationship between Iowa and Denmark, and obviously, I want to see these numbers increase,” Sørensen says, “which is also why we are doing trade delegations like the one we have done this week.”
He also spoke Friday morning with students and toured Grand View University, which was founded in 1896 by the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
(By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic)