MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas will be recovered with “dialogue and peace”

“Malvinas will be Argentine through dialogue and peace”, said Argentine president Nestor Kirchner during the main commemoration of the 22nd anniversary of the Falkland Islands war that took place in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego.

In a speech next to the Monument to the Fallen in Malvinas, mid day Friday April 2, president Kirchner praised the combat spirit and values of the "worthy" soldiers and officers that fought in the 1982 conflict clearly establishing a difference with those who "looked upon the Argentine people from their necks and committed all sort of atrocities".

"Malvinas will be Argentine through dialogue, peace and firmness; achieving the sovereignty of the Islands won't be a matter of alleged actions undertaken in the past believing that by giving up values, Malvinas could be recovered".

Further on Mr. Kirchner said he adhered with determination the "defence of the Islands sovereignty and the heroes and martyrs condition with which we must honour those who fought in Malvinas".

Appealing to unity, national spirit and Argentine values, Mr. Kirchner stated that "there's no national spirit that can be recovered when you are on your knees, you recover it with peace, love but also dignity; Malvinas are and will always be Argentine".

"The values of the former combatants are the core values which we Argentines need to uphold to achieve the country we deserve, the same values which are reflected today in the nation's attitude towards foreign commitments and domestic pressures".

However Mr. Kirchner pointed out that those values can't be achieved with simple voluntarism but rather with strong conducts, "from all Argentines", and so be able to "confront external claims and also internal lobbies or monopolistic groupings".

"Argentina must be built on values. It must be plain clear, everyday values, Argentine values, because Argentina can only be saved by all of us together; no Superman or messianic message, simply a strong united Argentine people".

President Kirchner was accompanied during the ceremony by Defence Minister José Pampuro, the Commanders in Chief of the four services and the governors of Tierra del Fuego, Santa Cruz and Chubut.

Twelve hours before, mid night April first, Mr. Kirchner and his delegation participated in the Río Grande Malvinas Vigil, which recalls when Argentine troops in 1982 began sailing to the Falklands.

Mr. Kirchner was received in Rio Grande by a double formation of torches, war veterans and a significant crowd with flags, crests, badges and other patriotic pennants. After raising the Argentine flag and a minute of silence, the national anthem was sang as well as the Marcha de las Malvinas.

"April 2 is not another date in the calendar, today we honour those patriots who defended the interests of national sovereignty", said Mr. Kirchner. "For some the motherland ends in General Paz (Buenos Aires City main avenue), for me it ends in Malvinas", stressed the Argentine president.

Defence Minister Jose Pampuro in a brief exchange with the press said that "sooner or later Malvinas will be returned to Argentina", but the only possible mechanism to claim sovereignty over the Islands is diplomacy, as this administration is doing".