Three cruise vessels called in Montevideo on Monday. They are: Crystal Symphony with 900 passengers on her way to Antarctica; Saga Pearl on her return trip from the Southern seas and the more modest Andrea which will be involved in brief Antarctic incursions.
According to the most recent census, in 2001, there were 1,989 persons, living in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands. As this number includes everyone from babies to the old and infirm, it doesn't take much mental effort to compute that the arrival, all at once, of a further 1,600 people on board the Cunard liner, QE2, constitutes an invasion of significant proportions.
Next December Mercosur and India will be signing a first tariff reduction agreement extensive to 900 products which will open the way to further advance in expanding bilateral trade.
The Argentine economy is forecasted to expand 5% in 2005 in a favourable international context, which could be even stronger if the pending defaulted debt negotiations with private creditors prove successful.
In coincidence with the twentieth anniversary of the Argentina-Chile Peace Treaty signing, Foreign Affairs ministers from the two countries, Rafael Bielsa and Ignacio Walker will be meeting this Monday to review some pending details of Argentine president Nestor Kirchner's firs official visit to neighbouring Chile.
Chilean President Ricardo Lagos has announced compensation payments to thousands of victims, saying illegal imprisonment and torture were a state policy during the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet.
As the date for Gibraltar's constitutional reform talks with the British Government approaches, Chief Minister Peter Caruana declared that the Gibraltar delegation will be holding discreet talks with UK officials next week.
PressRelease
The Falklands team landed in a heat and drought stricken Victoria on the 24th November to begin their final preparations for the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Australia. Roxane Morrison joined the team the day after following some minor hiccups along the way.
During the Motion for Adjournment of the Legislative Council meeting, two councillors took the opportunity to criticize the Argentinean government for ignoring their existence and the Commander of British Forces issued an assurance that force levels would not be reduced.
Queen Elizabeth II or Q2 as she's better known with her majestic presence left Saturday midday for the Falkland Islands with 1,500 cruise passengers and 1,000 crew after calling 24 hours in Montevideo.