MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“No quick and easy solution for Malvinas”

Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary Rafael Bielsa said there's “no quick and easy solution to the Malvinas/Falklands question” adding that Argentina must work hard to become “a more consistent country”.

In Brussels this Tuesday with President Nestor Kirchner's delegation, Mr. Bielsa said he was optimistic about the negotiations for a long term agreement with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, particularly after the support received from British Primer Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerard Schroeder.

"There are very good prospects for a convergence of positions between Argentina and the IMF. Both parties are anxious to reach a long term agreement and not short term commitments that are rapidly left behind. I think the stage is set for a constellation of (positive) stars", indicated Mr. Bielsa.

"We're under the impression that certain orthodoxy of the IMF, at least in Mr. Koehler's words (IMF Director), has to be reviewed" and therefore a model for "growth with equity" is in the drawing board argued Mr. Bielsa in a brief interview with the Argentine press covering President Kirchner's visit to several European countries.

Mr. Bielsa explained that Argentina is convinced that all previous "(IMF) recipes" that "made us a model country in Latinamerica ended badly" and "with a terrible social cost for our people".

The Argentine minister described the results of the Progressive Governance conference held in Surrey where Mr. Kirchner was specially invited by the British Prime Minister as "excellent" given the positive interviews with Mr. Blair, Mr. Schroeder and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

However, "this is a first step that needs a joint strong and continuous follow up effort" if "we want to achieve concrete results" warned Mr. Bielsa who pointed out that neither of the leaders said a word about the distressed European Argentine bond holders or the public utilities companies with frozen rates, that have pending litigations with Argentina since the default and collapse of this country's economy in 2001.

Questioned on more details about the Falklands issue, Mr. Bielsa said that Prime Minister Blair on both occasions he met with President Kirchner and the issue was brought up, Mr. Blair responded with a "diplomatic smile" and a Spanish "comprendo".

"It's a complex and longstanding problem that will not have a quick and simple solution", but "we must work hard to become more consistent as a country" and so have serious aspirations to recover the Falklands.

Finally Mr. Bielsa insisted that satellite surveillance in the South Atlantic has shown that "contingents of fishing vessels with Islands' licences cross the demarcation line and fish in Argentine waters", causing great loss to the Argentine treasury and marine resources.

In Brussels and before leaving on Tuesday afternoon for Paris, President Kirchner also received promises of full support in Argentina's negotiations with the IMF from European Commission president Romano Prodi