MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Air links: Falklands admits “proposals”, denies agreement

An article in today's Argentine national daily newspaper Ambito Financiero reports that Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa and British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell agreed three things during their talks which took place in Buenos Aires earlier this week. However in Stanley a Councillor speaking for the Falklands government described the points as “proposals”.

1) There will be four new flights from the Argentine continent and eventually six;

2) They will begin no later than the inauguration of the monument to the Argentine dead in the Islands;

3) The air link between Chile and the Islands will be authorised until the end of the year, when the two countries will meet again to discuss the situation.

Meanwhile reports on La Nacion website in the late afternoon quoted Argentine Defence Minister Jose Pampuro at the departure of the Argentine monument from a port in northern Buenos Aires province, for the Islands, saying that the progress made in the talks between the two countries regarding the four flights "shows the good will of the British and Argentine governments in this matter."

In the Falkland Islands, Councillor Roger Edwards in an official statement to the local press on Friday afternoon said there has been no agreement yet on flights between Argentina and the Falkland Islands.

"The frenzy began when there was speculation on the BBC World Service and the local British press about an agreement".

According to Cllr. Edwards, one particular Buenos Aires financial newspaper this Friday gave some detail of the proposals ("agreements") put forward in the talks earlier this week between Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell and the officials in Buenos Aires headed by Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Bielsa.

Councillor Edwards added that "there is shortly to be more speculation in the Argentine press".

"The so called agreement reflects a proposal which inferred from this week's meeting in Buenos Aires between Mr. Rammell and Argentine Officials, which Mr. Rammell agreed to consider. The British Government has made it clear throughout that any new arrangements on flights will require the agreement of Islanders. Councillors considered the proposal. Their views have been relayed to the British Government by the Governor. And, the Councillors will be discussing further details with Mr. Rammell by telephone on Monday."

MercoPress - Buenos Aires