MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' Governor: “no meeting of minds” with Argentina

Governor Alan Huckle inspecting FIFD Guard of Honour

Beginning with a parade of members of the Falkland Islands Defence Force, which is usually conducted in icy conditions, the annual budget session of the Falkland Islands Legislative Council (LegCo) in May is the most important of the year.

Although he no longer acts as the Speaker of the House, the Governor of the day traditionally takes the opportunity to open proceedings with a "State of the Nation" address. While the weather for today's session was milder than usual, Mr. Huckle's words with regard to the current Argentine administration were distinctly cool. Speaking today, Thursday, in Stanley's Court and Council Chamber at the opening of the LegCo Governor Alan Huckle bluntly said that if the Argentine government continues to narrow seriously areas of cooperation and is only interested in discussion about the transfer of the Islands sovereignty to Argentina, then "there can be no meeting of minds". Mr. Huckle reported there has been no change in Argentine government attitudes towards the Falklands, which he said did "not improve the scope for understanding between the people of the Falkland Islands and Argentina" and contrasted with "the efforts of the UK and Falkland Island Governments to be constructive towards Argentina". His words about the attitude of the current Argentine administration were in stark contrast with that of most Argentine visitors who "act sensitively and sensibly" and even the Argentine media, which following inappropriate actions of Argentine veterans visiting the cemetery, granted the Falklands' Councillors the opportunity "to put across their views about the incident". The Governor began this part of his address by stating, "Both the British and Falkland Islands Governments seek to maintain good working relations with Argentina. We have previously been able to co-operate well on various matters of common interest, such as the conservation of shared fish stocks, by putting to one side the issue of sovereignty (under the sovereignty umbrella). Unfortunately, the approach of the current Government of Argentina seems to be to narrow seriously these areas of co-operation. The Argentine Government have made it clear publicly that what they want is discussion about the transfer of sovereignty to Argentina - and on that there can be no meeting of minds." "The Argentine Government has recently taken action to put pressure on the Islanders and on businesses that have contributed to economic growth here. In March, Argentina withdrew from the 1995 Joint Declaration on Hydrocarbons and announced a ban on oil companies working in Argentina from also operating under a FIG licence on the Falklands continental shelf, with retrospective penalties. In April, the Argentine Chamber of Deputies passed draft fisheries legislation designed to penalise fishing companies in much the same way: the legislation is now before the Argentine Senate. Argentina has also stalled co-operation in the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission, and continues to block any progress on the establishment of a multilateral high seas fisheries agreement, which works against their own fisheries conservation interests as well as ours." Mr. Huckle continued by expressing the hope that the invitation to the Argentine Families' Commission to bring next-of-kin and relatives of those Argentine servicemen killed in 1982 to a commemorative service at the Argentine cemetery in Darwin in November this year would begin what he described as "the process of healing" and said that whatever the relationship with Argentina at a political level, Islanders had always welcomed and assisted visits by Argentine next of kin. Memories of the Argentine invasion and occupation were still "very stark" in the Falklands, the Governor said. He warned that although the current democratic Argentine Government had "eschewed pursuing its claim by military means and disowned the actions of the military junta", it could not ignore the fact that the invasion had occurred and that it had changed the situation completely for Islanders and the British Government alike. Mr. Huckle continued that it would "be important, therefore, in agreeing with the Argentine Families' Commission the arrangements for this group visit, that Islander sensitivities are respected. This has not been helped by the inappropriate actions of the Argentine veterans who visited the cemetery recently. They did not receive widespread support in Argentina for what they did and Councillors were able to put across their views about the incident in the Argentine media. Most Argentine visitors act sensitively and sensibly. So we should not overreact but be prepared to receive the Argentine visiting group with our usual hospitality and courtesy." In years gone by the Governor's annual address on this occasion was restricted to a revue of the performance of each of the many government departments. While Governor Huckle did pay tribute "to the dedication and commitment of Councillors and also to the high standards and professional qualities of our public servants who work on our behalf" his speech covered a wide range of more general topics relating to the economic, social and political development of the Falkland Islands over the twenty-five years since the liberation of the Islands from Argentine occupation in 1982. The anniversary was a time, said Mr. Huckle "to commemorate those who died in the conflict, in a respectful and dignified way." It was, he said, an opportunity to remember "the courage and professionalism of all those in the British Armed Forces and civilian support services - and Falkland Islanders - who helped to secure the freedom of these Islands" and also a time "to recall with appreciation the political will of the Prime Minister of the day, then the Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher MP, in taking the difficult decision to send a task force to return these Islands to democracy in the face of unprovoked aggression." Referring to the heightened amount of media interest in the Falkland Islands demonstrated, the Governor said that the anniversary was also "an opportunity to showcase the Falkland Islands as they are today - a modern, thriving society, self-sufficient in all matters except the cost of defence." Mr Huckle continued, "Those veterans who return here will see how much the Falklands have changed. The population has grown by 31%; we have a sustainable economy, good quality public services, a vibrant private sector and modern arrangements for governance and democracy. Islanders can be forgiven for the occasional smile of self-congratulation." Though the current economic success of the Falkland Islands was built upon the natural resource of its fishery - 40% of Government income is generated by the fishing industry and the industry represents 44% of the Falklands' gross domestic product - the Governor said that it also owed much to the hard work and initiative of the Islanders themselves and to the careful management of the Islands' economy by successive Falkland Island Governments and the civil servants concerned. Turning to the subject of the further commemorative events planned for the 25th anniversary, The Governor announced that In June, the Falklands would host a large group of distinguished visitors from the UK, led by His Royal Highness the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, as representative of Her Majesty The Queen and also including the Rt. Hon Adam Ingram MP, Minister for the Armed Forces, as representative of Her Majesty's Government; Dr Liam Fox MP, Shadow Defence Secretary, as representative of Her Majesty's loyal opposition; Sir Nicholas Winterton MP, Chairman of the All Party Committee on the Falklands; Lord Parkinson, as representative of Baroness Thatcher's Cabinet in 1982; Bishop Stephen Venner, Bishop for the Falklands; the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and Sir Rex Hunt, who was the Falklands Governor in 1982 and Lady Hunt. Among the other visitors invited by the Falkland Islands Government to participate in the 25th anniversary commemorations in June would be a group of British veterans of the Conflict, together with representatives from Ascension Island, St Helena, the States of Jersey and the Cayman Islands, who, Mr Huckle said, did so much to support the Falklands' cause during the Conflict. He urged his audience, which included listeners to the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service as well as those present, to give those visitors, and the veterans who would follow in November, a great welcome. The presence of these senior representatives, along with the ceremonies that will be held in London and elsewhere in the UK, said Mr. Huckle, clearly demonstrated the depth and closeness of the link between Britain and the Falkland Islands; the continued commitment of the British Government to the Falklands; and the importance that the British people attach to the principle of self determination. He concluded, "Successive British Prime Ministers have consistently made it clear that the UK Government has no doubt about British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, and that there can be no change in that sovereignty or discussion of sovereignty unless and until the Islanders agree - and currently I see no indication that Islanders wish any such change