MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas issue in UN Ban Ki-moon's Buenos Aires agenda

Minister Taiana and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

“Strengthening multilateralism” and the Malvinas issue figure in the agenda United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be considering with Argentine officials when he visits Buenos Aires next week.

During his brief stay in Argentina next Wednesday, on his way to the Ibero-American summit hosted by Chile, the UN Secretary General will be meeting President Nestor Kirchner, Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Taiana and elected president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, her first high level diplomatic interview she will be holding since winning last Sunday's election. Ban Ki-moon's agenda begins early morning in the San Martín Palace with Taiana, followed by a visit to Congress and in the afternoon President Kirchner. According to Buenos Aires press the Argentine Foreign Office is particularly determined in strengthening multilateralism, an issue of special interest for the UN Secretary General. Regarding Malvinas/Falklands, Taiana is expected to again retake the issue emphasizing Argentina's sovereignty claims in the South Atlantic and the latest UN General Assembly calling for the resumption of talks with UK. Taiana will also appeal to Ban Ki-moon "good offices" in helping to find a way out to the dispute and bringing Britain to the discussions table. The UK has repeatedly disavowed Argentina's demands for bilateral talks on the Falklands sovereignty arguing the issue will only be addressed when the Islanders so request it. Argentina wants no dealings with the Islanders, whom it considers usurpers and much less with the elected government of the Falklands which it completely ignores.