MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Malvinas belong to Argentina and will return peacefully”

President Kirchner paid tribute to the Malvinas veterans

Argentine President Nestor Kirchner said the Falkland Islands will be returned peacefully to Argentina someday as he spoke Thursday June 14, to supporters on the 25th anniversary of the United Kingdom's victory in a war over the South Atlantic islands.

Kirchner insisted Argentina has a legitimate claim to the Malvinas Islands as he focused most of his speech on Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister at the time of the 1982 conflict. Precisely on June 14 the Argentine troops surrendered to the British Task Force sent by Lady Thatcher to recover the Islands, a day which has become the main date in the Falklands' calendar, Liberation Day. On Wednesday, the eve of the 25th anniversary Baroness Thatcher sent a radio message to the Islanders and British Forces, recalling her memories of the "gravest decision" she made during her premiership, which ended with "a great victory in a noble cause". "I would like to say to Señora Thatcher that she may have won the battle because she belongs to a major power, but she never defeated us through the force of reason or justice, because the Malvinas belong to Argentina and will return to Argentina peacefully" Kirchner said on the sidelines of an event at a suburban Buenos Aires sports complex. President Kirchner also paid tribute to the Malvinas veterans who fought until "the very last second". "From here today and in the name of all Argentines I want to honor the lives, the fighting spirit and courage of the "malvineros" (conscripts sent to the Islands) who fought for Argentine sovereignty until the very last moment and very last second", he stressed. Kirchner also considered "unacceptable" a conflict where "Argentine young boys and officers who fought for our sovereignty were massacred". His words were responded by a roaring crowd that begun chanting "Argentina, Argentina". Kirchner then called on all those present "to feel proud of being Argentines" and asked for help to definitively build a country with "social inclusion, Argentine spirit, with peace and the flag in our hearts". "We're reasserting the values of the national spirit. This motherland was built on the courage of San Martin, of Mariano Moreno, of Hipolito Yrigoyen, of Juan Perón and Eva Perón's immortal flame of justice and fairness", emphasized the Argentine president. Unlike in Britain, no large-scale ceremonies were held in Argentina recalling the date. Since taking office in May 2003 Kirchner has made it a priority of his foreign policy the resumption of Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty talks, insistently pressing on the UK on all international forums. At the same time his administration has completely ignored the Falklands' local population rights and has ceased cooperation in areas of joint interest such as fisheries and oil exploration in the South Atlantic, plus limiting air links between the Islands and the South American continent in an effort to disrupt the Falklands' booming tourism industry. Britain's position has been that the Islanders have a right to self determination and until they so wish and request, there will be no talks with Argentina.