Spanish apology to Argentina for “protocol error” involving Falklands’ delegation
Argentina formally accepted Wednesday apologies from the Spanish government which admitted having committed a “protocol error” on allowing the presence of a delegation from the Falkland Islands in an international fisheries sustainability conference, reports Efe, the Spanish government news agency quoting the head of Argentina’s Fisheries Department Norberto Yauhar.
Argentine representatives participating together with delegations from fifty countries in the fisheries conference, convened by Spain’s Rural and Marine Environment ministry Elena Espinosa were surprised on entering the hall to find a delegation from the Falkland Islands, with their own flag, sitting round the table at the same level as the rest of participant countries.
The Argentine delegation walked out of the meeting at the opening of the conference and following on the Argentine protest the organizers of the conference withdrew the Falklands flag and stand from the adjoining show.
Argentina claims sovereignty over the South Atlantic Islands which have been under the British flag since early XIXth century and in 1982 went to war following the landing of Argentine troops in the Falklands and South Georgia.
Mr. Yauhar is quoted by Efe saying that the Spanish Foreign Affairs ministry has formally apologized to the Argentine embassy in Madrid.
“Minister Espinosa with whom I also spoke personally has apologized for the “protocol error”, which we have accepted”, said Yauhar. He added that the presence of a delegation from the Falkland Islands in the conference was “unacceptable” for Argentina. The conference on fisheries sustainability also includes a delegation from the autonomous territory of Greenland which depends from Denmark.
Over twelve ministers, plus high ranking officials and representatives from international and multilateral organizations are present at the conference which is addressing issues referred to a sustained management of fisheries and conservation.
The Argentine delegation, which walked out of the opening ceremony headed by Spanish Minister Espinosa, following official apologies and the withdrawal of the Falklands flag and delegation from the conference room “have decided to continue participating of the official program”, said Yauhar.
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I am surprised the British government is allowing this as any large discovery of Oil will antagonise an already strained friendship and it must be remembered that any future military confrontation between Britain and Argentina would be disastrous for Britain's credibilty and standing as a nation only interested in spreading peace and stability.
Neither of these colonies serve any useful purpose for Britain. They are neither strategically or economically necessary and their continued existance can only be justified by our fundamental democratic tradition where the interests of the minority can superceed those of the majority.
But we live in a rapidly changing and ever more dangerous world. Britain's power both economically and military is in rapid decline and so we need friends and allies more than ever in order the maintain our economy and our security and countries like Argentina and Chile and all South American nations are absolutely vital to those interests.
We are arriving at a situation where we must seriously consider if the cost of preserving the rights of a tiny number of British citizens in lands far away...is worth our future security and stability.
Spain is particularly hypocritical maintaining the enclaves of Ceuta and Melila, despite Moroccan claims. I happen to agree with Spain that what the people want is what is important but its rank hypocrisy to say that its somehow different from Gibraltar. Not to mention keeping the Portuguese town of Olivenza.
Argentina has manufactured a ludicrous claim from the most tenuous of bases.
And you seem to think that Britain's security is best served by appeasing a bunch of bullie who behave like small children. We tried appeasement before it wasn't very successful.
What proportion of the population of Britain would be happy to bear the cost of this? - at a time of recession and cutbacks in all sectors of british society.
If Britain is required to increase its military presence on the islands do we have the capacity to do this? where would the extra funding come from?
And if - god forbid - we were forced into a military confrontation with Argentina where would the resources come from? We certainly could NOt repeat the effort we made in 1982.
We wouldn't have to repeat the effort, the Argentine would go the way of the Belgrano before it got close.
Notice, the only way Argentina apparently gets its way is by bullying. Does it never get through their thick skulls they'd get farther by being less confrontational.
And the point you've conviently ignored is that history teaches us the cost of appeasement would be infinitely higher.
The Falklands have a tiny population that would be easily compensated and resettled in either Britain or any developed nation they choose.
Britain could then negotiate from a position of advantage with Argentina and a peaceful and permanent resolution to this problem would be found which would result in a much happier relationship with Argentina and the rest of south america. And we really do need nations like Argentina as strong and reliable allies.
You also have to recognise that Britain, Europe, the USA will be very different countries in 50 years. Radical demographic change will produce very different attitudes to nationalism and patriotism.
loyalty to enclaves of british citizens living across the oceans simply may not be understood in a britain whose population may be largely made up of people from Asia and the middle east.
All we are doing is pre-empting the inevitable without loss of blood, loss of face or national pride on any side.
How about a peaceful and permanent resolution to the “problem” as you euphemistically call it. We take the issue to binding independent arbitration at the ICJ and let the principles of International Law sort it out. No loss of blood but you can bet loss of macho pride when Argentina loses.
Tell me, why can't Argentina simply grow up, drop its demands and just let the Falklanders live in peace. Why is it Britains who have to give in and the Falklanders lose their home and the land they've built up over 9 generations. Another way of pre-empting the inevitable as you put it.
Why do we need Argentina as an ally precisely? A reliable ally, have a look at Argentine politics over the last century. Reliable?
You said :-
“The Falklands have a tiny population that would be easily compensated and resettled in either Britain or any developed nation they choose.
Britain could then negotiate from a position of advantage with Argentina and a peaceful and permanent resolution to this problem would be found which would result in a much happier relationship with Argentina and the rest of south america. And we really do need nations like Argentina as strong and reliable allies.”
So you will resettle them and compensate them with their own Money? What a brave idea, why didn't we think of that?
Argentina has never been a strong and reliable ally of any nation in the world, ever. In WWII secret allies of Hitler who then declared war on him at one minute to midnight to look good with the Allies.
What a load of tripe you postulate. How much are they paying you at the chancellory to write this rubbish?
During the period 1998-1999 a consortium of oil companies came to the islands to look for oil and at one point it was believed they had discovered a vast reserve.
The response of several Falklands' government representatives reflected the consensus of opinion in the islands when they openly stated that an oil rich Falkalnd islands would immediately pursue independence from Britain and would be more than able to finance its own defence...even it meant an agreement with Argentina that involved Argentine forces defending the islands in exchange for a share of the oil wealth.
Councillor Mike Summers was particularly vocal on the issue.
I see you like pork pies and tripe as your daily diet.
The Falklands is a long way from being oil rich and if there is oil proven in large quantities it will be at least 5 years before it begins to flow in substantial amounts.
However once the drilling next year reveals their actual situation it will be crunch time both for the Falklands and Argentina.
If results are positive the Falklands will immediately have the resources available for its needs if it so wishes to release them and Argentina will have missed a great opportunity for any genuine act of conciliation towards Falkland Islanders.
The recent Fish Gate scenario in Spain was typical of Argentina's racist attitude towards Islanders. The meeting was about preservation of Fish stocks and Argentina chose to make it about the actuality of the presence of certain people. Not about what they had done or intended to do but simply about who they were. This is typical racist behaviour.
Shame on you.
Much like your own british delegation removed themselves from a recent convention in europe in which a delegation from Zimbabwe was present.
What you say about the conservation of fish stocks is most interesting...particularly if you look at the Falklands' conservation zone around the islands which was imposed in October 1986 by the british government.
The Islanders were offered several options for the development of the fishing zone,the principle one of which was a project, financed by the british taxpayer,to develop a Falklands fishing industry which would involve moving the greater part of the british fishing fleet from ports around the UK, to the Falklands.
This proposition was immediately rejected by the Islanders because it would have involved the creation of an infrastructure including a new harbour,processing facilities packing and export and accommodation for the families of fishing crews from britain.
The islanders chose a sub-licencing system whereby the could simply act as brokers for licence sales to foreign fishing fleets.
This created a scenario whereby the fishing zone could never be adequately controlled and stocks maintained which has resultd in the Faljklands conservation zone being grossly overfished to the point where certain stocks are threatened with extinction.
One of the most distressing effects of this rampant uncontrolled exploitation is the devastation of both the Albatross and the penguin.
As for the meeting in Spain - how come nobody objected to Greenland being there? they are not independent of Denemark but were accepted as a country that had a big fishing zone. But the Danes are a bit more mature.
By the way, there is a current Mercopress article about the growth in the Penguin population - and the reasons why it dropped.
As to the spoilt child behaviour by Argentina, I'll let Islander's excellent rebuttal speak for itself.
And Mr Rogers, don't flatter yourself. Your knowledge of history is rather sketchy, Britain and Argentina had a very close relationship. When that was in place Argentina was the 5th richest nation on the planet. It was Peron who used the revival of the Falklands issue to create an Anti-British feeling.
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