MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Joint UK-Argentine naval exercises?

The Argentine Navy is looking forward to holding naval exercises with the Royal Navy in the South Atlantic, according to the Buenos Aires press.

Apparently the agenda includes two different exercises in the coming six months, one of them more tactical involving HMS Cardiff and a second, "Millennium", rescue and recovery operations in the high seas.

However in the first case there could be some diplomatic tangling, so says the Argentine press, since HMS Cardiff is currently on South Atlantic Patrol Task (she took over from HMS Glasgow early June) and operating from the Falklands.

If, in this condition HMS Cardiff calls in Argentina, either coming south or going north, it could have an "international law" complication for Argentina's permanent claim over the Falkland Islands and the "Argentine Foreign Affairs Ministry is looking into the matter". All this could be avoided if HMS Cardiff simply "does not call at any Argentine port".

With "Millennium" there are no "diplomatic" inconveniencies since the joint British-Argentine exercises would take place in the high seas, similar to the recent naval display with the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

The main purpose of this exercise is rescue operations involving maritime tragedies.

"Given the increasing number of vessels, both commercial and tourism, steaming close to the Argentine coast in the South Atlantic, particularly during summer months, we must be prepared", revealed an Argentine naval source to the Buenos Aires press.

The Argentine Navy was also feeling proud because it was the first time the Argentine contribution to a United Nations peace keeping mission, in Haiti, is under the command of a naval officer. Captain Adrian Sanchez will be leading the multi-service contingent that includes doctors and veterinarians given the dreadful sanitary conditions of the Caribbean island state.

Besides the UN operation in Haiti will take place under UN Chapter VII meaning peace forces have greater self protection resources.

"We don't want to see a repeat of Yugoslavia in 1993 when many UN forces were killed because we were impeded from using our weapons", said Captain Fernandez.