MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina accuses UK of “taking possession” of Malvinas

Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana

Argentina's Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana reiterated on Thursday Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands and said the United Kingdom was involved in a “trespassing and abusive” behaviour and “has taken possession of what belongs to somebody else”.

Addressing in New York the United Nations Decolonization Committee or G24 Taiana criticized Britain's program of events on the 25th anniversary of the end of the South Atlantic conflict which lasted 74 days from the Argentine invasion of the Falklands in April 1982 to their surrender to a British Task Force on June 14. Both Argentina and the United Kingdom organized several events with war veterans and next of kin to honour the memory of those killed during the conflict. But according to Taiana, Britain "celebrated" the war victory instead of commemorating. Taiana said Britain's attitude does not contribute to create the "appropriate atmosphere" for dialogue on the Islands sovereignty and insisted that Argentina's stance on the issue "has not changed". Taking on recent words from President Nestor Kirchner, Taiana asserted that "the UK as a world power might have won a battle" in 1982 but "reason and justice" will never be on her side because the Malvinas "will return in peace" to Argentina. Taiana underlined Argentina's permanent willingness to resume a "peaceful and negotiated" bilateral dialogue with Britain to find a solution to the long century and a half controversy. But the UK's "trespassing and abusive" behavior has stalled dialogue with Argentina through unilateral actions regarding the Islands. Looking back into the conflict's history Taiana accused the UK of "taking possession of what belongs to somebody else" and emphasized that Argentina's position before the UK "has not changed since the very moment she was stripped of the Malvinas". Taiana described the current situation of the Islands as "anachronistic" and said Argentina has "firm anti colonial convictions" with the full support from Latinamerican countries. The Argentine official blamed "UK unilateral actions" such as the Falklands new fisheries licensing system and "other decisions" for the suspension of the South Atlantic Fisheries Committee meetings. Similarly for having walked away last March from the Southwest Atlantic hydrocarbons committee which was meant to promote joint development of oil and gas resources. Before Taiana two Argentine petitioners linked to Malvinas also addressed the G 24 committee, they were Marcelo Vernet and James Douglas Lewis an Islander resident in Santa Cruz whose parents moved to Patagonia and he was educated in an English school in Buenos Aires. As has been the rule the G24 is expected to draft a resolution calling on Britain and Argentina to resume negotiations talks on Falklands/Malvinas, as soon as possible, to reach a peaceful solution to the long standing dispute.