MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mercosur supports Argentina: bans access to all Falklands/Malvinas flagged vessels

President Mujica made the announcement at the closing ceremony

Mercosur member countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) finally agreed Tuesday to close its ports to ships flying the flag of the disputed Falkland/Malvinas Islands, announced Uruguay's president at the closing of the group’s two-day summit in Montevideo.

“Mercosur presidents agreed that Falklands/Malvinas flagged vessels should not dock in Mercosur ports, and if that were to happen, they should not be accepted in another Mercosur port“ revealed President Jose Mujica.

A statement issued at the end of the summit said member countries would adopt ”all measures that can be put in place to impede the entry to its ports of ships that fly the illegal flag of the Malvinas Islands.“

Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner, who took over the presidency of the trade bloc from Mujica, thanked her fellow presidents for the show of support for Buenos Aires in its dispute with Britain over the South Atlantic Islands.

The decision announced by Mujica would close ports of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil to Falklands/Malvinas’ flagged ships.

The Uruguayan president last week announced that his country would bar Falklands/Malvinas’ ships from Uruguayan ports, prompting Britain to call in the Uruguayan ambassador to express its concern.

According to the brief two paragraph release the Mercosur members and associate states reiterated their commitment to apply in conformity with International Law and their respective domestic legislations, “all measures that can be put in place to impede the entry to its ports of ships that fly the illegal flag of the Malvinas Islands.”

“Vessels that have been previously rejected in their access to some port from the region, will avoid requesting access to other ports form the rest of Mercosur full members and associates states, while flying that flag. If not the vessel will be exposed to the same measure contemplated in the first paragraph of the declaration, in conformity with International Law and the respective domestic legislation”.