Uffe Allemann-Jensen, who was Denmark’s foreign minister for more than 10 years from the early 1980s and considered one of the leading statesmen of the Nordic region in the late Cold War phase, has died.
Uffe Allemann-Jensen, who was Denmark’s foreign minister for more than 10 years from the early 1980s and considered one of the leading statesmen of the Nordic region in the late Cold War phase, has died.
Uffe Allemann-Jensen, who was Denmark’s foreign minister for more than 10 years from the early 1980s and considered one of the leading statesmen of the Nordic region in the late Cold War phase, has died. He was 80 years old.
The conservative-liberal Venstre party, led by Allemann-Jensen from 1984-1998, said in a brief statement on Sunday that he died overnight “after a long illness”. The cause of death was not immediately stated.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksson said in a statement that the Danish Foreign Minister from 1982 to 1993 Aleman-Jensen was “a sharp statesman”, a great personality and “a man of great courage”.
“He represented our country skillfully during the Cold War,” said Fredriksson, who insisted that Denmark should remain committed to NATO’s common policies, and called for a closer transition between Europe and the United States. Called to maintain Atlantic ties.
“Now that the war is back on the European continent, their voice for a strong, secure and democratic Europe is clearer than ever,” she said.
Allemann-Jensen, born in 1941, was very close to becoming Prime Minister of Denmark in 1998, when his party lost the general election and negotiated government formation with less than 100 votes as leader. The bitter defeat prompted him to abandon the leadership of his party and leave Danish politics.
In the international arena in the late 1980s, as the Cold War was drawing to a close, he profiled as a strong European advocate for the independence of the Baltic states and then the Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
He was successful in convincing a majority in the Danish parliament to actively support the US-led coalition during the 1991 Gulf War.
His proactive foreign policy measures and push to promote the interests of Denmark, a country of 5.8 million people, led to his policies being called the Allemann–Jensen Doctrine, the idea of promoting the ability of smaller countries to gain influence in the world order. It reflects.
In 1995, Allemann-Jensen was a candidate for the post of Secretary General of NATO. He received the support of the US government, but France blocked his candidacy, preferring the Spanish candidate Javier Solana, reportedly the biggest disappointment and defeat in the Danish politician’s career.
Allemann-Jensen is survived by his wife Alice Westergaard, their four children and 10 grandchildren.