MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina condemns UK “unilateral actions”

Argentina claimed this Friday before the United Nations Decolonisation Committee, C-24, that the United Kingdom is “obstinately delaying” Falkland/Malvinas Islands sovereignty negotiations and warned about a succession of British “unilateral actions” in the South Atlantic disputed area, which have intensified during the last twelve months.

"The United Kingdom persists in ignoring calls from the international community. Her obstinate delay of negotiations on the issue of sovereignty over the Islands will not change the situation", warned Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa in his address to C-24.

After recalling the "illegal occupation" of the Malvinas Islands by British troops in 1833, Mr. Bielsa said the population and authorities of the Islands were then displaced originating a "special colonial situation" inside Argentine territory.

Mr. Bielsa also insisted in the Argentine historic position, which has been supported in previous UN declarations, indicating that there are only two sides in the Malvinas islands sovereignty dispute, which means non recognition of the Islanders right to self determination as sponsored by the United Kingdom.

This principle would "turn kelpers into the arbitrators of a territorial dispute of which the country that implanted the settlers is part", and therefore the colonial power would be "co-validating its own usurpation and herself".

In the "Malvinas issue" breaching, --by means of an imperialist action of the eighteenth century--, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent republic, Argentina, recognized by Britain gives prevalence to the principle of territorial integrity over self determination", argued Mr. Bielsa, who drafted his speech with collaboration from former Ambassador Lucio Garcia del Solar; Ambassador Santos Goñi, head of the Malvinas Department and Argentina's Ambassador before the UN, Cesar Mayoral.

Mr. Bielsa strongly demanded the "immediate resumption" of sovereignty bilateral negotiations with Britain, in line with the C-24 non binding final statement sponsored by several Latinamerican countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Cuba among others.

As happened in the recent Organization of American States summit in Ecuador the Argentine Foreign Secretary underlined several British actions in breach of UN resolutions which effectively call on the UK "to abstain from introducing unilateral modifications" in matters related to the Falklands/Malvinas islands.

"United Kingdom has acted more than once outside the terms agreed with the Argentine Republic", said Mr. Bielsa who pointed out to fishing licences, and to oil exploration licences in the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone, described "as inadmissible unilateral decisions".

To this must be added "the continued exclusion of Argentina from direct contacts and communications with the Islands and British reluctance to advance in military confidence building".

Mr. Bielsa also mentioned the fact that the "British military base" in Falklands/Malvinas has been upgraded "extending its operational capability beyond the disputed area".

However Mr. Bielsa promised to continue working to reach an agreement regarding direct contacts and communications between Argentina and the Islands.

"Argentine airlines and maritime companies are prepared" for this purpose.