MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine/British fisheries meeting in London next week

Argentine and British representatives will be meeting next week in London to discuss the long term fishing licences issued by the Falkland Islands government and bilateral cooperation in the South Atlantic according to sources from both sides quoted in the Buenos Aires press.

Several Argentine newspapers mention that a diplomatic delegation will be leaving Buenos Aires for London later this week to hold a meeting on the following in the Foreign Office, where allegedly Argentina will insist in condemning British "unilateral fisheries decisions" (25 year licences) plus insisting, as has been the current President Kirchner's administration policy, on an immediate resumption of Falklands' sovereignty talks.

According to the Sunday edition of Perfil, dialogue between Britain and Argentine "has worsened" in the last few months mainly because of the "insistent tone" from the Kirchner administration regarding the sovereignty claim.

Perfil quotes Derek Smith, identified as the press officer from the Falklands' Desk in the Foreign Office who points out that the bilateral "dialogue atmosphere" has "turned to worse", particularly given the "tone" of Argentine diplomacy statements and claims.

Therefore Falklands' incoming governor Alan Huckle's speech "was not at all surprising" when he firmly ratified London's consistent and clear position of no sovereignty talks "without the agreement of the Islanders", added Mr. Smith.

Governor Huckle went even further and said that if "the Government of Argentina decides to put increasing pressure, be it diplomatic or economic, on the Falkland Islands or those having dealings with the Islands, this can only harm relations and make the negotiation of future such agreements that much more difficult. Such pressure can only be counter-productive."

However the Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed the next week bilateral meeting with delegates from Argentina, Falklands and London to discuss among other topics fisheries.

"We're going to address fisheries issues but also cooperation between Britain and Argentina in the South Atlantic. It's not such an important meeting since it's not the first of its kind, we've already had several", said Derek Smith who underlined the meeting "should not only focus on the negative side with the Falklands issue; we must not forget the rest (of the agenda)".

"Our countries are cooperating in many other issues and this must not be forgotten, but it's evident that regarding the Islands, the situation has worsened", concluded Derek Smith.