MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: Kirchner blasts British “obstinacy” in the UN

Pte. Kirchner in the UN General Assembly

British “obstinate reluctance” to dialogue with Argentina over the Falkland Islands sovereignty is “incompressible” said Argentine President Nestor Kirchner on Tuesday in his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Kirchner also anticipated Argentina's "strongest rejection" in the event of the UK wanting to expand the continental platform boundary to the east of the Falklands. "It's time the United Kingdom puts an end to the anachronism of retaining an occupation dating back to colonial times", underlined Kirchner who described the current Falklands situation as "illegal", particularly when 174 years have gone by since the "usurpation of Argentine territory". President Kirchner also underlined Argentina's "permanent" and unabated willingness to resume Falklands' sovereignty negotiations with the UK as recommended by the UN General Assembly year after year. Argentina's strong stance comes just a few days after the British press revealed that London might want to expand claims in the South Atlantic seabed, including round the Falklands, based on international law which contemplates that coastal nations can extend their claims on the seabed beyond the current 200 miles economic zone up to 350 miles from the coastline. Claims can be submitted to the United Nations before the deadline runs out in May 2009. The Guardian last Friday said UK was considering the possibility of territorial claims not only round the Falklands, but also Ascension Island and Rockall in the hope of "annexing potentially lucrative gas, mineral and oil fields". However over the weekend a spokesperson for the British Embassy in Buenos Aires downplayed the British press reports saying that as far as actually submitting the claim to the UN "no decisions have been made". Furthermore "this is not a new issue; we have already had useful contacts on the matter with the Argentine Foreign Ministry. Meetings took place in 2001 and 2004. Earlier this year we proposed a further meeting, which we hope will happen because it will be another example of cooperation with Argentina in areas of mutual interest in the South Atlantic," he insisted. In spite of President Kirchner's strong words Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana said in New York that Argentina would not make any official protest (on the seabed expansion) as long as "there's no official presentation from their side (UK)". In the Falkland Islands elected Councillor Mike Summers was quoted by the British press stating that "the UN Commission, would not issue any final, binding decision, on the matter, as long as, the ownership of the Falklands was in dispute".