MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Argentina cannot be trusted”, says South Atlantic Council

“It is unrealistic at this time to press for negotiations on Falkland Islands sovereignty”, furthermore Argentina has proved that “it cannot be trusted to respect agreements entered into” according to the Secretary of the South Atlantic Council, Alastair Forsyth.

The extract is from a statement sent to the Secretary of the United Nations Committee on Decolonization, or C24, prior to the June 15 meeting in New York, and which was recently published in the Islands' Penguin News latest edition.

The South Atlantic Council promotes discussions with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

Mr. Forsyth also points out that the Argentine government has changed its previous policy of conciliation, avoided contact with the Islanders and "used every means of exerting economic pressure".

A former banker, Mr. Forsyth underlines that Argentina, "by its treatment of foreign lenders and investors it has proved the Islanders' point, that it cannot be trusted to respect agreements entered into".

The text of the letter follows:
"In 2000 Dr Conrado Etchebarne Bullrich, an Argentine, and I, British, prepared and presented to the Islanders a proposal for the tripartite administration of the Islands by Britain, Argentina and the Islanders.

Any proposal acceptable to the Islanders was and is acceptable to the British. The proposal had the tacit approval of the Argentine Government at the highest level. It was not however acceptable to the Islanders.

The Islanders feared the Argentines. They said they could not be trusted to keep to the terms of the agreement. In 2001 Dr Bullrich presented the text of the proposal to this Committee, recommending it as fair and realistic. Since then the Argentine Government has changed its previous policy of conciliation. It has instead avoided all contact with the Islanders and used every means of exerting economic pressure.

In the meantime, by its treatment of foreign lenders and investors it has proved the Islanders' point, that it cannot be trusted to respect agreements entered into. It is unrealistic therefore for this Committee (C24) at this time to press for negotiations on sovereignty.

The Islanders are the key. It would be unacceptable not only to British but to world opinion for the population of a small but working democracy to be made subject against its wishes to another power.

The Committee should recommend Argentina to reconsider its present policies and, in the decades ahead, commit itself to establishing a new basis for friendship and trust".