MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands/Malvinas: Mercosur supports Argentina; rejects UK Defence minister words
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez missed the statement The Mercosur presidential summit unanimously supported Argentina’s legitimate sovereignty rights over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands and strongly rejected “regrettable statements” from British Defence Secretary Liam Fox regarding the use of force.
Mercosur full members and associates met on Wednesday in Asuncion, Paraguay for the first of two annual presidential summits when the rotating chair of the group was handed by Paraguay to Uruguay for the next six months.
Argentina on the occasion was represented by Foreign Affairs minister Hector Timerman since President Cristina Fernandez was absent on medical recommendations.
“Mercosur full members and associates energetically reject the regrettable statements from UK Minister of Defence regarding the deployment of combat aircraft and naval power in the Malvinas Islands zone” says the statement.
With statements of this nature “the UK continues to ignore the reiterated calls from the international community to sit for negotiations with Argentina to solve the sovereignty dispute”.
Minister Timerman thanked all governments present “their permanent support for the legitimate, unrenounceable and imprescriptible rights of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute concerning the Malvinas Islands question”.
Mercosur members and associates also reiterated support “for the legitimate and imprescriptible rights of the Argentine Republic over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding maritime spaces”
“Argentina never failed to show its willingness to negotiate, to reach a peaceful solution. Unfortunately it has been confronted with an unjustified and systematic response from the Unite Kingdom” Timerman said.
The Argentine Foreign Minister also accused the United Kingdom of holding “sole responsibility over the perpetuation of this anachronistic colonial situation”.
Timerman said that the countries of the region, “the same way that united they have defended democracy”, united they will also “defend sovereignty”, adding that in spite of the fact the illegal occupation of Argentine territory by Britain has been uninterruptedly protested since 1833, Argentina never failed to show its willingness to negotiate, to reach a peaceful solution”.
Last Monday Defence minister Fox said the UK remains committed to retaining sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the face of renewed Argentine pressure over the issue, and has the political will and military means to defend the Islands.
He added, addressing the Reform think-tank that Argentine politicians “can huff and puff but it will not change our resolve politically to retain the independence and the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands nor to come to their defence and to maintain deterrence as best we can”.
And he emphasized that “we have Typhoons already stationed there. We have a very clear message that we have both the naval power if necessary, and certainly any intent to ensure that the Falkland Islands are kept free and their people enjoy the liberation we fought so hard for 30 years ago“.
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Read all commentsBritain may ignore the international community but Argentina LIES to them!
Jun 30th, 2011 - 08:22 am 0For example - “ ... in spite of the fact the illegal occupation of Argentine territory by Britain has been uninterruptedly protested since 1833...” A lie that can easily be proven in the years of silence following the Convention of Settlement 1850.
“ ... thanked all governments present “their permanent support for the legitimate, unrenounceable and imprescriptible rights of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute concerning the Malvinas Islands question...”
a) There is nothing legitimate about Argentina's claim. If there was, Argentina could take its case to the ICJ, and
b) Argentina's claim MUST be renounceable as Argentina effectively renounced it with the Treaty of 1850, and
c) there is no such thing as an “imprescriptible” claim in international law.
“President Cristina Fernandez was absent on medical recommendations.”
Jun 30th, 2011 - 08:28 am 0What sort of person runs for office when as ill as she is .... mentally and physically?
“Argentina never failed to show its willingness to negotiate” It has since 1994 when the consitution was ammended. Now the government will accept nothing less than a complete capitulation of British sovereignty. That is not a negotiation, thats a surrender. Anything less would not be good enough by Argentine law in Constitution, which is hugely significant.
Jun 30th, 2011 - 10:34 am 0Therefore as a principle of International law the Argentina government has deliberately interfered with this negotiation process. The 1976 Resolution 31/49 of the General Assembly of the United Nations, “calls upon the two parties to refrain from taking decisions that would imply introducing unilateral modifications in the situation”. You can’t interfere with a legal process unilaterally only by agreement. Both sides should condemn the Argentine Government and state that the conditions the UN supported in 1965 have changed so now has the process. Unfortunatley many can't see this obvious fact.
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