COPENHAGEN, Nov 5 (Reuters) - The new U.S. ambassador to

Denmark, a PayPal ( PYPL ) co-founder and longtime friend of Elon Musk,

assumed office on Wednesday amid unprecedented tensions between

the NATO allies as President Donald Trump seeks control of

semi-autonomous Greenland.

Kenneth Howery, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to

Sweden, presented his credentials to King Frederik X at

Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen along with new ambassadors

from seven other nations.

In a brief exchange with reporters, Howery said his

priorities would include strengthening defence cooperation and

trade ties and working with Denmark on Arctic security concerns.

"I'm also very much looking forward to meeting the people

and learning about the cultures of the kingdom as well as

travelling around ... including the Faroe Islands and

Greenland," he said.

Ties between longstanding allies Denmark and the United

States have been strained since Trump expressed his ambition to

take over Greenland, a resource-rich Danish territory in the

Arctic, citing security concerns.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, on a visit to

Greenland in April, made a direct appeal to the United States,

in English, stating that "you cannot annex another country, not

even with an argument about security".

Denmark's foreign minister in August summoned the then-head

of the U.S. mission over intelligence reports alleging covert

influence operations by U.S. citizens in Greenland that aimed to

whip up opposition to Danish rule.