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Montevideo, March 28th 2024 - 21:47 UTC

 

 

Argentine-British exercise in South Atlantic no surprise to FI Councillors.

Wednesday, November 10th 2004 - 20:00 UTC
Full article

British military sources on the Falkland Islands confirmed yesterday earlier reports (MercoPress 8 November) of joint Argentine-British search and rescue exercises in the South Atlantic.

Captain Ben Taylor, media spokesman for the British military base at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands described the exercises as "essentially civilian" in support of the International Maritime Organisation. The aim, he said, "was to make international waters safer".

Clarifying some ambiguity in the wording of an official Argentine release, which talked about "the Islas Malvinas Sub-centre" and "The Argentine Coordination Centre", Captain Taylor said that these terms referred simply to the zoning of the South Atlantic for search and rescue purposes by the International Maritime Organisation and had no political significance.

Although military assets from both sides were deployed in the three days of exercise, Captain Taylor gave the answer "Categorically not" to a suggestion that Argentine air force or naval units might have entered Falkland Islands waters or air space.

Captain Taylor reported that the exercises had gone to plan, commenting that "at the military level" both sides had enjoyed good rapport with each other.

Spokesman for the Falkland Islands Government, Councillor Ian Hansen confirmed that he and his colleagues were aware that the exercises were taking place and had no problem with them; indeed they were broadly in favour of cooperation with Argentina on matters of mutual and practical benefit such as this.

John Fowler (MP) Stanley

Categories: Falkland Islands.

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