MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

FIBS Direct News.

Consultative Council Forum

Councillor Mike Summers is taking a two day break from the round of political party conferences in Britain this week to represent the Falkland Islands at the second Overseas Territories Consultative Council. The Council, hosted by Baroness Scotland of Asthal at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, is a forum at which British Ministers with an interest in Overseas Territories, are able to meet with Chief Ministers and other senior politicians from those Overseas territories. They'll be discussing immigration policies, policing and international security, judicial cooperation, human rights, sustainable development and natural resources, financial issues and the overall relationship between the United Kindgom and the Overseas Territories. The Consultative Council began yesterday and concludes today.

British Criticism from South America

South American presidents have criticised Britain for maintaining its claim on the Falkland Islands, and according to an article in Mercopress, have stepped up support for Argentina's claim on the Islands. The regions first summit issued a brief statement calling the Islands status a "colonial situation??incompatible with the ideals of peace, security and co-operation." This is said to be the first time a South American regional group defined the Islands situation as colonial. The twelve presidents stated the need for both parties to resume negotiations and called for a resumption of negotiations aiming at a peaceful and "lasting solution" of the dispute. Responding, Councillor Mike Summers made two points. Firstly, that he doesn't regard the situation as any kind of change as South American countries have traditionally supported the Argentine position. He expressed pleasure that the Islands were described as colonial when they clearly are not and pointed out that an inaccurate comment was made in public. Councillor Sharon Halford affirmed the view of Councillor Summers, saying the stance is "nothing unusual. All Mercosur countries have been working towards this for years." Councillor Jan Cheek reiterated the comments made by the other two councillors saying, "it is part of clear Argentine polic