MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Visit of an extraordinary 'pensioner'

Former Argentine Foreign Minister Mr Guido Di Tella confirmed his visit to the Falkland Islands on October 14th during an interview with Heather Briley for MercoPress Newsagency, his first media interview since he left office ten months ago.

Accompanying Mr Di Tella on his visit will be his son Luciano, daughter-in-law Joanne and two of his numerous grandchildren Nicholas and Benjamin aged nine and eleven. Joanne and the children will be entering the Islands on British passports and the Di Tella senior and his son on Argentine ones. They will also be accompanied by Di Tella's personal friend and press secretary Jorge Raventos, as there are expected to be many members of the Argentine media accompanying the Di Tella party. This long awaited visit coincides with that of a group of Argentine next of kin of 1982 servicemen buried in Darwin cemetery.Upon their arrival the group will immediately go to Port Howard for two nights, then visit Sea Lion Island as Di Tella has promised his grand-children they will be able to see penguins and touch them; The party will arrive back in Stanley on Wednesday 18th for the remainder of the week.

Mr Di Tella stressed that he believes he is "completing my education" by visiting the Islands, "I want to see the Islands, the community, so I feel I've completed my education."

During his visit the former minister for ten years under President Carlos Menem's administration who became well-known for his so called "charm offensive" towards the Falkland Islanders would like to meet all those Islanders who would like to meet him. "I would very much like to meet all of the Councillors and prominent members of the community, I will be very eager to meet everyone I can," he adding "There will be some people who are pleased about my visit, others annoyed or angry and others indifferent."

He has also agreed to give the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service "all the interviews they want. There will be people who won't want to talk to me, so if there is someone who wants to talk with me I would say yes, I will give all the interviews people want, whether or not the Islanders listen is up to them."

"I'm trying not to raise political expectations at all, it's a personal trip with members of my family, so I think there shouldn't be any expectations," he added. "It's a private visit, period. I can't dissociate myself from the fact that I was Argentine foreign minister for ten years, but now I'm just a prominent Argentine 'jub