The Spanish government condemned Argentina’s announcement over the expropriation of YPF, calling it a “discriminatory” and “arbitrary” decision, and stated that it will adopt any measures deemed necessary to defend the interests of Repsol and every other Spanish company.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner sent to Congress a draft bill to expropriate Spain’s Repsol’s holdings of YPF oil and gas company. The announcement was made on Monday at the Government House during a sudden meeting with officials, political leaders, unionists and businessmen.
Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman indicated that Argentina’s participation in the 6th Summit of the Americas “left a very positive balance,” and stressed on the importance of the bilateral meeting between President Cristina Fernández and US president Barack Obama.
Uruguay has fallen prisoner of Mercosur and Argentina because it did not sign the free trade agreement with the United States which was offered to the country in the previous government of Tabare Vazquez, said two-times President Julio Maria Sanguinetti.
The CEO from Spain’s main oil corporation Repsol, Antonio Brufau said that there should be no speeches or attempts to impose, but rather more dialogue, in direct reference to the ongoing conflict with the Argentine government over the possible takeover of the YPF branch.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández left the 6th Summit of the Americas held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, before the official closing meeting allegedly in protest against a lack of regional support for Argentina’s claims in the Falklands/Malvinas dispute with the UK.
In the last 48 hours “things seem to be getting back on course” said on Saturday Spain’s Minister of Industry Jose Manuel Soria in reference to the ongoing conflict with the Argentine government over the possible take over of YPF, the Argentine affiliate of Spain’s Repsol.
Spanish officials warned Argentina on Friday that the country risks becoming an international pariah if it follows through on its threats to take control of Spanish-owned energy company Repsol's majority stake in its YPF unit.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has said it is “absurd” for the British government, which has enjoyed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands for 180 years, to maintain its claim from an ocean away “when these Islands are part of our maritime platform.” Applying the logic of Ms. Kirchner, Canada should be stoking international tensions in an effort to annex Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. And perhaps Greenland.
Retired Royal Marine Brigadier Ian Gardiner, who commanded a Marine company in the 1982 Falklands war, thinks a new Argentine attack on the Islands is unlikely.