MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK flights proposal “does not satisfy Argentina”

The British counter proposal for the resumption of the suspended charter flights between the continent and the Falkland Islands “does not satisfy” Argentina, Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa reported to Congress.

Mr. Bielsa who visited Congress Wednesday midday told the Foreign Affairs committee of the Senate that at "this moment we're transmitting this position to British Ambassador in Buenos Aires, Robin Christopher".

Apparently the Foreign Office proposed that talks for a definitive flights program between the continent and the Falklands should begin next April 1.

"We need time to assess which proposal could be satisfactory", and therefore Argentina "will not begin negotiating next April 1a definitive flights option", as was suggested by Islanders, indicated Mr. Bielsa.

However Mr. Bielsa also revealed that "unfortunately" an "erroneous" leak to the Argentine press of "a proposal that Argentina considered adequate" for normalizing commercial flights from the continent to the Islands, impeded the fulfilment of the initiative.

The Argentine government had considered the proposal with visiting Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell, but it was conditioned to approval by London and the Falklanders.

According to Argentine press reports, proposals discussed by Argentina with Mr Rammell would have introduced for the first time direct regular commercial flights from Buenos Aires operated by Argentine aircraft, in return for Argentina ending its ban on charter flights over its territory from Chile imposed soon after the start of the current tourist season.

As a consequence of the press leaks, which talked of an agreement and not proposals, "I received a verbal note arguing that the filtration had caused an immediate reaction among the English people living in the Islands", said Mr. Bielsa to the Congressional committee.

The Argentine minister also reiterated before the Committee that "the Malvinas are Argentine and if Britain has no time to begin negotiating the issue of sovereignty, we have the patience to wait for that moment".

Reacting to the "leaked proposal" elected Falklands Councillors during the February Legislative Council meeting said that the Islands will not yield "to aggression and bullying from the other side".

"To do so, would set a precedent which would undoubtedly encourage them to do it in other areas. So as they sit down to wonder what their strategy is going to be, as we get nearer to some further discussions at ambassadorial level, they might like to think that more aggression is likely to make things worse", highlighted Councillor Summers.

Further on Mr. Summers said that Argentina also wished to have visits to the inauguration of the Argentine memorial currently being assembled at Darwin.

But this and other issues are "up for discussion," and, "...there will only be an inauguration of the memorial if there is an agreement between the parties. And there won't be an agreement between the parties if there is more aggression and bad faith."