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NUUK, Greenland, Jan 24 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush has ruffled feathers in Denmark by skirting diplomatic protocol and sending a message to Greenland's government, which should have gone through its Danish protector.

In one of his first forays into the world of international diplomacy, Bush sent the message -- calling for an open dialogue on a radar post in Greenland which could possibly serve in the US National Missile Defence (NMD) programme -- directly to the head of Greenland's government.

But under normal procedure, the White House invitation should have gone to Copenhagen, which is responsible for the Danish protectorate's foreign policy, security and defence issues.

Denmark's opposition right wing has taken exception to Bush's direct approach to its protectorate.

"The Americans should have gone through the Danish foreign ministry, the only body capable (of dealing with the issue) and should have respected the Danish constitution, because Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark" insisted Per Stig Moeller, the Ritzau news agency reported.

The conservative spokesman was joined by Pia Kjaersgaard from the extreme right Danish People's Party, who called on the government to be more careful.

"I think it was a misunderstanding, but to stop from this going too far it is important that the government sends a clear message to the United States that negotiations on Greenland should come through Denmark," she said.

The message itself concerned the US radar base in Thule, in the northwest of the semi-autonomous territory, which could act as a lynchpin in the controversial proposed NMD programme -- a cornerstone of Bush's platform.

But a Danish government spokesman moved to play down the significance of the minor gaffe by Washington saying that he wasn't offended by Bush's letter to the head of Greenland's semi-autonomous government, Jonathan Motzfeldt.

"It's not especially surprising, since the letter was a response to a congratulatory telegram sent by Motzfeldt to the new president," explained Jeppe Kofoed, of the ruling Danish Social Democrat Party.

"It's no secret that the US is one day going to ask for the modernisation of the Thule radar station and (not surprising) that he referred to it as a matter of common interest to be discussed in the future," Kofoed added.

Greenland's authorities have declared their opposition to the NMD proposals which would create a missile shield -- presented as a scaled-down version of the abandoned "Star Wars" plan -- as the backbone of US defence policy.

Greenland has said that the unproven concept would sew the seeds of global instability and pitch the country unwillingly at the centre of a new Cold War.

The Thule station was commissioned in 1951 and served as a warning station against possible attack by the former Soviet bloc during the Cold War. It is still in use as a surveillance post.