MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

De la Rúa claims sovereignty in the UN Millennium Summit.

Argentine president Fernando De la Rúa claimed sovereignty over the Falklands during his speech this Thursday before the United Nations General Assembly. This year's edition of the General Assembly will be remembered as the Millennium Summit since it has convened over 150 world leaders in New York.

In a brief reference to the Islands issue Mr. De la Rúa also demanded the resumption of bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom as recommended by the United Nations, and stressed that the Argentine Falklands claim since 1994 has been incorporated into the Constitution.

However, the reference came as no surprise to the British delegation since it was anticipated to Prime Minister Tony Blair by President De la Rúa during an official lunch on Wednesday of world leaders, when both shared a table with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

That same morning Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs Adalberto Rodríguez Giavarini during a forty minutes meeting with Foreign Secretary Robin Cook also talked about Falklands sovereignty, in the framework of "excellent bilateral relations", according to Argentine press sources. Rodríguez Giavarini admitted that great progress has been achieved in fisheries and hydrocarbons in the South Atlantic and announced he had invited Mr. Cook to visit Argentina.

Another issue on the table was the British position concerning Argentina's aspiration to become the seat of the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. Argentine press reports indicate Mr. Cook offered greater scientific cooperation and even regular visits to Buenos Aires of a scientific research vessel.

Mr. Rodríguez Giavarini also accepted Cook's suggestion that Argentina and the United Kingdom sponsor joint actions in international forums such as the World Trade Organization to promote the opening of world markets and liberalisation of trade.

Tony Blair and president De la Rúa met again in the Waldorf Astoria hotel during a gathering of the so called Berlin Group that sponsors the "third way" and includes 15 heads of government among which US president Clinton, Fernando Cardoso from Brazil and Ricardo Lagos from Chile.