MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Dialogue on flights could be reopened.

Argentina could restart negotiations with the United Kingdom to establish scheduled commercial flights between the continent and the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, an objective that appears and disappears with regularity from the bilateral agenda.

"The possibility of reopening the discussions has opened" Oscar Feito, spokesman for Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa, said last night, after the conclusion of the meeting with his British equivalent Jack Straw. Both Foreign Ministers met a little after six o'clock in an office on the third floor of the Security Council of the UN organisation and for twenty-five minutes analysed subjects in their diplomatic relationship.

The meeting was considered "positive and constructive" by sources in the Foreign Ministry and included some decisions about three meetings to take place soon: of the Fisheries Commission of the South Atlantic, of the Joint Argentine-British Working Group and the Commission for the Demining of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, which could take place before the end of the year.

During the meeting Bielsa reaffirmed that the need for flights between the continent and the islands was a question of "dignity" rather than one with commercial motives and indicated that the Government wouldn't oppose more flights from third countries "as long as Argentina is included" according to sources from the Palacio San Martin.

The Government also hopes to reinforce bilateral relations with the United Kingdom from January 2005, when Argentina becomes a non-permanent member of the Security Council, which would allow an increase in the bilateral discussions between the missions of both countries at the UN and between their own Foreign Ministries.

Reaffirmation of Sovereignty

A day earlier, Kirchner had reaffirmed Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands in his speech at the United Nations.

Moreover, he thus accomplished the demand imposed on Argentine functionaries since the reform of the Constitution in 1994, that stipulates the "permanent and unrenounceable" claim to the Falkland/Malvinas, the Georgias and South Sandwich Islands, and their corresponding waters.

"We exhort the United Kingdom to promptly comply with the call of the international community and renew these negotiations" Kirchner underlined.He pointed out that "The establishment of the Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty in the city of Buenos Aires is now already a reality. We thank those who always supported Argentina for their help in this, that, without doubt, will contribute to the attainment of the principal objectives of the Antarctic Treaty system".