MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK Ambassador in Chile favours more links Falklands/Punta Arenas.

“There are good possibilities to strengthen trade and tourist relations between Magallanes Region and the Falklands, and transport should be increased further”, said British Ambassador in Chile Gregory Faulkner during an official visit to Punta Arenas where he was also present to welcome the “HMS Dumbarton Castle”.

The Royal Navy fisheries patrol stationed in the Falklands is the first British vessel to visit Chile since the 1998 Pinochet crisis.

In a brief interview with the local press Ambassador Faulkner who arrived in Punta Arenas last Thursday revealed that Aerovias DAP apparently was interested in charter flights to the Falklands and added that the British government was willing to talk about increasing links with the Islands.

"In first place it must be commercially viable for the airline, and secondly there are arrangements to me made between the aeronautical authorities of both countries", indicated Ambassador Faulkner.

The British official said that relations between Chile and the United Kingdom are completely re-established and the Pinochet incident is behind.

"Diplomatic relations were never interrupted and what really complicated was the atmosphere, but happily it's all over and we're looking ahead into the future", stressed the British Ambassador in Chile.

Mr. Faulkner who has only been in the job for two months said it was a great honour to have been posted to Chile since "a lot of my work with the Foreign Office has been relations between United Kingdom and Latinamerica".

Regarding trade Mr. Faulkner indicated that Chilean sales to Britain have increased steadily in the last few years, although not British exports because of the Asian crisis. Britain is still very much interested in investing in Chile, said Mr. Faulkner who specifically mentioned the waterworks and sewage privatisation system.

Ambassador Faulkner's agenda included meetings with local and regional officials, businessmen, farmers and visiting several sites of interest. Ambassador Faulkner travelled with wife Fiona.