MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina expects to reach agreement with UK regarding flights.

Argentine Ambassador in London denied his government is holding up growth of the Falkland Islands tourism industry and revealed that “we are looking forward to reaching an agreement with the UK” regarding flights to the Islands.

Ambassador Federico Mirré addressed a letter to the Financial Times in response to an article published last July 14 titled "Clouds on the Falklands' bright horizon as fish stocks fall and Argentina grows restive" in which Joshua Goodman mentions that Argentina's latest decisions regarding air links with the South American continent triggered a diplomatic feud with the UK and conditions expansion of the second most important industry of the Falklands, tourism.

Ambassdor Mirré's letter follows:

"Sir, Joshua Goodman describes the economic downturn the Malvinas are experiencing as due mainly to the collapse in fishing stocks ("Clouds on the Falklands' bright horizon as fish stocks fall and Argentina grows restive", July 14).

The depletion of such stocks is certainly a setback that also concerns the Argentine government and is being dealt with by Argentine and British scientists who work closely and co-operatively on this matter.

The article gives the wrong impression that the Argentine government is holding up growth of the islands' tourist industry by denying third parties permission to fly to the Malvinas through Argentine continental airspace. Nothing is further from the truth. Following the agreements of 1999 between Britain and Argentina, a weekly regular flight is being serviced by LanChile.

In addition to those flights there appears to be an interest in charter flights. In the past, and in keeping with its exclusive ability to grant permission to fly through our national airspace, the Argentine government has allowed some charter flights to do so. However, this cannot be a permanent solution.

We are looking forward to reaching an agreement with the UK that will take into account the natural interest of Argentine airlines to also make these flights, an activity from which they have been de facto banned until now.

As expressed by Rafael Bielsa, our minister of foreign affairs, in a recent speech at the United Nations, the Argentine government does not rejoice in the islanders' hardships.

It believes in dialogue and negotiation and, contrary to what the title of the article implies, it is confident that common sense and confidence-building intentions will prevail".

Federico Mirré, Ambassador, Embassy of the Argentine Republic, London W1Y 1YE