MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Little positive to say about relations with Argentina”

While reaffirming the United Kingdom's government commitment to Falkland Islanders' right to self-determination, Governor Howard Pearce said there's little positive to say about the Islands relations during the last twelve months with the Argentine government.

"Sadly, there is little I can say which is positive, at least in terms of relations with the Argentine Government", indicated Falklands' Governor Pearce during his annual address to the nation previous to the opening debate on the 2005/06 Islands' budget.

Although the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission continues to meet periodically to discuss the management of the south-west Atlantic fisheries, "the quality of the cooperation we have received from the Argentine side has been disappointing. Their refusal to discuss cooperation on a high seas fisheries agreement for the region on terms which the UK and Falkland Islands Governments could accept has been particularly regrettable, despite there clearly being a mutual interest in improving the quality of regional fisheries management".

Mr. Pearce admitted there has been some progress in discussions between the UK and Argentine Governments on a feasibility study concerning the removal of mines from the Falklands, but on the issue of charter flights, "there has been no movement, and there is currently no sign that the Argentines are prepared to discuss it on terms which would acceptable to Falkland Islanders".

On the positive side Mr. Pearce mentioned the visit to the Islands last March by representatives of the Argentine Families Commission in order to see at first hand the new Memorial at Darwin following its completion last year.

"They went out of their way to include in their visit the cemetery at San Carlos and the Liberation Monument in Stanley, to pay tribute to the Britons who died in the 1982 Conflict. I have no doubt that we were right to welcome these visitors, all of whom had suffered profound personal tragedy through the loss of family members during the conflict".

Governor Pearce said that the Argentine delegation was visibly moved by the way in which they were received in the Islands and even when "I know that some Islanders were not comfortable with the visit, and I can understand their reasons, but I believe that the majority accepted the need for it and felt the compassion for the visitors which their personal tragedies deserved".

As to the British government's commitment to the Islands following last May 5 elections Mr. Pearce highlighted "I have no doubt that the new UK Government will be as unequivocal on this issue as its predecessor".

"The Argentine Government has no excuse for misunderstanding: Falkland Islanders wish to remain British and there is no prospect of their changing their mind on this point in the foreseeable future".

As to the newly appointed Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibility for the Overseas Territories, Lord Triesman, who replaces Bill Rammell, Mr. Pearce said he hoped "we shall have the opportunity of welcoming him to the Falkland Islands in due course" and enjoying as close a relationship as with Minister Rammell.

Finally Mr. Pearce encouraged the elected Falklands Councillors to keep taking every possible opportunity to put the Falklands' case for self-determination to the international community such as is the annual meeting of the United Nations Committee of 24 every June in New York.

"It is important that the Falkland Islands should continue to be represented at conferences of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, at meetings with other European Union overseas countries and territories, and in international organisations at which issues of interest to the Falkland Islands are on the agenda", added Mr. Pearce.

Equally important for the Falklands is to welcome as wide a variety of overseas visitors to the Islands as possible, as happened over the last year with a group of Canadian politicians and the Red Ensign Conference, and with the annual group of United Kingdom Members of Parliament.