MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas recovery, “a long term issue if to be solved peacefully”

Ambassador Fernando E. Petrella

“Recovery of Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland/Malvinas islands will not be defined in the short term or near future” admitted an advisor from the Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry who warned that “such a negotiation needs patience”.

"It's not a job for a generation or a government. It's a long term issue if it is to be solved peacefully", indicated Ambassador Fernando Enrique Petrella during a forum on "The armed conflict of Falkland/Malvinas, looking back on 25 years" organized by a foundation from the northern province of Tucuman. Petrella however described relations with Great Britain as "excellent" in spite of Falklands/Malvinas; "British investments keep coming to Argentina and trade is fluid". Bilateral discussions are permanent and so is the "firmness and forcefulness" of the President Kirchner administration claims to ensure the UK does not receive the wrong signals and "clearly understands that Argentina's position on the dispute has not changed" Ambassador Petrella said that the war with Britain in 1982 increased diplomatic difficulties pushed the issue back to block zero and increased the mistrust gap. Asked if there was a timetable to discuss sovereignty, Petrella said that "territorial conflicts take their time, a long time. And when on top you have a war, conditions on the short term are not favorable. Acquired rights are unquestionable, and as such are admitted by the United Nations when it recommends courses of action, but these decisions are not mandatory". Further on Petrella avoided the question on describing the decision of going to war over the Falklands/Malvinas. "We must let history to judge. It was a serious error, extremely serious with tragic consequences", he emphasized An expert on International Law, Camila Emilce Faur and retired Colonel Enrique Stel were also in the panel. Faur said that Argentina has repeatedly had its sovereignty rights over Malvinas acknowledged and recognized by the UN Decolonization Committee, "but that right is relative when the world's central powers are involved". Colonel Stel admitted he would have never appealed to an armed conflict and that the strategy should have been a "peaceful colonization" of the Malvinas islands. "Galtieri committed a very serious mistake, probably several serious mistakes, including the fact that the original plans were ignored", he underlined.