MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina calls for resumption of “sovereignty talks”

The Argentine government ratified this Saturday, as it has been doing for decades, Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and demanded Britain begins negotiations to solve the conflict in the shortest time possible.

The official statement of the Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary coincides with the 171 anniversary of the "occupation of the Islands by British forces" that dislodged legitimate "Argentine authorities and citizens".

"On January 3 of 1833 British forces occupied the Islas Malvinas, dislodging by force Argentine inhabitants and authorities legitimately established in the Islands", reads the Foreign Affairs Secretary release.

Further on it states that after 171 years of "illegitimate occupation which still continues, the people and government of Argentina reaffirm once again their non prescriptive sovereignty rights over the Islas Malvinas, Georgias del Sur, Sandwich del Sur and the adjoining maritime spaces".

The release recalls the "permanent and un-renounceable objective, consecrated in the National Constitution, of recovering the full exercise of sovereignty over the territories and maritime spaces of the South Atlantic".

All of this through peaceful means, following International Law and "respecting the way of life and interests of the inhabitants of the Islas Malvinas", adds the release.

The Argentine government also points out the need to comply with the "multiple United Nations resolutions and OAS (Organization of American States) declarations which call upon both sides to resume bilateral negotiations with the purpose of finding, in the shortest time possible, a peaceful, fair and lasting solution to the sovereignty controversy".

Finally Argentina underlines its permanent willingness to immediately resume negotiations and requests the British government "to give evidence, with no further delays, of the same willingness to comply with these appeals".