“Falklands has a right to oil exploration”, letter in The Times
Licences to drill for oil in Falkland Islands territorial waters were issued by the Falklands’ government, not by London, and Islanders are entitled to do this by the terms of the Joint Declaration over Oil issued by the Argentine and British governments in 1995, said Falklands Government Representative in London Sukey Cameron.
On February 25 The Times printed a letter from Ms Cameron in rebuttal of assertions made earlier by an Argentine contributor to the newspaper’s letters page, Dr. Celia Szusterman, “Future of the Falklands”, Feb. 23.
The letter in full follows:
Falklands has right to oil exploration
Sir, Celia Szusterman presents a confused and partial analysis of the situation over oil exploration in Falklands waters (“Future of Falklands”, letter, Feb 23). First, it was the Falkland Islands government (which Argentina consistently refuses to recognize) that granted the exploration licences. We are fully entitled to do this in our own territorial waters. This right was recognized by Argentina and the UK in the 1995 Joint Declaration over Oil.
The declaration stated the full claim by each side to the territory involved and was to allow Falklands’ oil exploration to go ahead in Falklands waters as defined by the fishing zones — effectively with the agreement of the Argentine Government and without interference or government involvement by it. The first round of exploration duly went ahead in 1998 on these terms. The agreement also designated an area straddling the border of the Falklands’ designated area as a special co-operation area to be exploited jointly.
A further licensing round in the Falklands took place in 2001 and ended in 2005; again within the terms of the 1995 agreement: so there is no question of a “unilateral decision to grant exploration rights”, as Dr Szusterman implies.
It was not until March 2007 (not 2005), that the Argentine Government unilaterally repudiated the 1995 agreement. To use Dr Szusterman’s words, “it signaled that co-operation over oil, fisheries, conservation and other matters should be steps in a path that must lead to talks on sovereignty.”
People may be forgiven for thinking that this announcement, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Argentine invasion and when the licensed companies had already invested two years’ work, was carefully planned to disrupt the exploration process and “revive the old cause”.
Argentina is attempting to achieve by economic sanctions what it failed to achieve by military means. It has withdrawn co-operation on fishing conservation and environmental protection. It has threatened sanctions against companies holding licences to fish in Falklands’ waters and tried to exclude Falklands Islands’ representatives from participating at international fish conservation conferences. Now it is attempting to disrupt oil exploration.
On one point I agree with Dr Szusterman’s analysis. It is time that Argentina recognized the Islanders and their democratically elected government. We are no longer a British colony but a self-governing overseas territory with full rights of self-determination. We have chosen to remain British citizens.
We have no desire to be colonized by Argentina, which refuses to recognize our Government or our right to determine our own future, but simply wants to seize our homeland, where we have lived for nearly 180 years. We will not be bullied into submission.
Sukey Cameron,
Representative Falkland Islands Government
London SW1
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Let me guess, if someone comment after me, they will be the piracy supporters criticizing me.
I am a curios person and therefore i began to investigate and try to find information about Falkland isl. and pirates and piracy.<br />
Question was, what now to do? Of course! go to the internet !.<br />
I have always associated pirates and piracy with the book “Treasure island” and “gangsters ” in the Caribbian Sea.<br />
However, when i typed (internet) .:.Falkland Is. and pirates/piracy I got a result!!<br />
Bingo!!! I was now able to read ,that in 1831 an American captain named Silas M Duncan (Lexington) (brave man i think, because several ships has been named in his name!) visited the islands, in order to liberate three vessels , which had been captured by pirates.<br />
When so done he arrested the bandits/pirates and brought them to trial.<br />
He charged them for PIRACY.<br />
I now better understand, why so many of the writers on this blog use the words pirates /piracy. Evidently there is a vey good reason.....<br />
Now i will try to investigate where did theese pirates come from ??<br />
I apology for spellng errors. I am Scandinavian.<br />
Another thing wondering me is the argument about distance .<br />
How much difference in distance is there in fact from UK to Falkland Isl and from Spain to The South American continent????<br />
<br />
Correction:: Captain Silas M Duncan did NOT call them “gangsters!!!<br />
He used the term : ”Band of pirates” sorry (nobody is perfect!)
<br />
Take care everybody,<br />
<br />
signed<br />
<br />
A. Pirate<br />
yo ho ho
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