MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK and Argentina advance in Falklands' mine clearance.

Falkland Islands Governor Howard Pearce has given details from the latest Joint Working Party (JWP) meeting, held in London last month to discuss the removal of land mines from the Islands.

October meeting was the JWP's first since 2001 when an exchange of notes was made between the United Kingdom and Argentine governments about the issue of de-mining. The latest meeting considered how the two governments should report to a conference due to take place in Nairobi, from November 29/December 3, 2004, which is the first to review the progress of the Ottawa Convention banning the use of land mines and makes provision for their removal where they have been laid.

Mr Howard Pearce said that "the two governments are to report to this review conference on what action is to be taken to address the problem in the Falkland Islands." They will outline the progress made last month in advancing a feasibility study into the removal of the land mines.

Mr Pearce said at last month's meeting the UK and Argentine governments also agreed to appoint two project managers, "...one on the UK side and one on the Argentine side for the process, and they also agreed some indication of what the costs of this should be. "But over the next few months some work will need to be done to define the nature of the work which now needs to proceed."

The July 1999 Joint Statement included a commitment by the Argentine government to pay for this study. Mr Pearce said motivation to tackle the problem of land mines in the Falklands seems equal on the part of both governments, however Argentina's economic problems in recent years have led to difficulties in making the money available, "...but hopefully now there will be progress with that." He added that, "the report to the Ottawa Convention conference should focus everyone's minds..."

The 2001 exchange of notes said that a feasibility study will be carried out regarding the clearance of land mines and the study will be carried out in three phases:

- A preliminary study which will asses the objectives, methodology, stages of implementation, timetable and resources required for the work - A main study which will include execution of the work which the preliminary study identifies as necessary, and - A final report to set out the conclusions that have been reached after the preliminary and main studies and which will make recommendations to both governments regarding future action.

Governor Pearce said that no indication has been made of the timescale involved in the study but he said, "...it is encouraging that there is going to be a further meeting of the JWP during the second quarter of next year and it will be the job of that meeting to decide on how to take the matter forward". (PN).