MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

FI Governor in Magallanes promotes closer links.

With the purpose of resuming cultural links and ratifying the growing trade and communications relations with Magallanes Region in Chile, Falklands/Malvinas Islands governor Howard Pearce visited last week Punta Arenas, reports the local daily La Prensa Austral in this Monday's edition.

Following a brief comment on Governor Pearce's career with the British Foreign Office (Buenos Aires 1975/78) and his perfect command of Spanish, plus a quick bird's eye view of the Islands and its economy, La Prensa Austral writes about the important and growing business links with Magallanes Region which Mr. Pearce underlines "help to improve Islanders quality of life".

Among those important and growing links Governor Pearce mentioned that all fresh fruit consumed in the Falklands comes from Chile; live cattle imports from Punta Arenas; the many tourists that arrive in the Islands with the Lan Chile air link; Falklands wool sales to Punta Arenas plus a general increase in the regular sea trade exchanges.

Even further, "in the near future the Islands expect to export lamb to other destinations through Chile", reports La Prensa Austral quoting Governor Pearce.

The article also mentions the many Chilean nationals working in the Islands farms, in the building, fishing and services industries, with Sodexho in MPA (over 100) and the Chilean flagged fishing vessels operating with Falklands' licences.

Regarding the Lan Chile air link, Mr. Pearce is quoted describing the importance of the regular (weekly) service which has become even more vital since last November 2003 when Argentina banned summer charter flights "forcing changes in cruise vessel itineraries".

Argentina has repeatedly expressed its interest in operating direct regular flights to the Islands, but for reasons linked to recent history, "Islanders don't want it, and prefer to keep the very important link with Chile", stresses Mr. Pearce.

As to cultural exchange, Governor Pearce recalls that until a few years ago the Islands' school system had close links with Punta Arenas and the idea is to resume the relation particularly with the British School, considered one of the best of its kind in Latinamerica.

Some form of association could be feasible, similar to those that already exist in the tourist industry and health care institutions in Punta Arenas, where a growing number of Islanders are travelling to for medical reasons.

As to the Falklands' counterpart of the cultural exchange, Governor Pearce proposes the recently started Languages academy in Stanley, which is now teaching Spanish to the local population, but is a "unique opportunity for the staff of Chilean corporations to learn "pure English" with no need of travelling to England". Intensive courses of "pure English" have an initial duration of a week and can include living in the home of Islanders.

Governor Pearce did not discard establishing contacts with Magallanes University in Punta Arenas that has strong Marine Biology Department, Antarctic Sciences Research Centre and is beginning the main Medicine School in southern Chile.