MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Taiana addresses C24 Thursday; Wednesday with Ban Ki-moon

Foreign Affaire minister Jorge Taiana and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last year

Argentina's Foreign Affaire minister Jorge Taiana will be addressing next Thursday the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, or C24, when he is expected to reiterate Argentine claims over the Falkland Islands and other South Atlantic insular territories sovereignty.

In an official release made public this Sunday the Argentine ministry also informs that Mr. Taiana is scheduled to meet next Wednesday in New York with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Argentina argues its claims over the Falkland Islands date back to the British occupation in 1833. Argentine Armed Forces invaded the Falklands in 1982 and after a 74 days conflict a British Task Force recovered the Islands with a death toll of almost 800 combatants. According to the Argentine ministry release the UN Special Committee on Decolonization will approve by consensus a resolution calling on the Argentine and British governments to resume, as soon as possible, bilateral negotiations for a peaceful solution to the controversy. The 2008 resolution will be co-sponsored by the four Latinamerican C24 members, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba and Venezuela, and will be presented by the Chilean representative in the Committee on Decolonization. Argentina is also claiming the South Georgia and South Sandwich islands.