MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falkland Islands “not colonial enclave says UK”
“THE Falkland Islands are not a colonial enclave,” stated the United Kingdom delegation at the United Nations in reply to a comment made by Argentina's President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
In her speech to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23 she also insisted the Falkland Islands were, "…an embarrassment for the 21st Century". Mrs Kirchner provoked the reply from the British delegation with the comment, "It's time to end the embarrassment of this colonial enclave." "...I call once again on the United Kingdom to fulfill its obligations under international law. For the Argentine people Malvinas is state policy and we call once again upon this honourable chamber to press on the United Kingdom to comply with the rules on international law." The British Delegation this week stated that the British Government, "…attaches great importance to the principle of self-determination as set out in Article 1.2 of the Charter of the United Nations and article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. That principle underlies our position on the Falkland Islands..." "...Britain's overseas territories are British for as long as they want to remain British. The people of the Falkland Islands have chosen to retain their link with Britain. The democratically elected representatives of the Falkland Islands once again expressed their own views clearly when they visited the United Nations for this year's debate in the Committee of 24..." They asked the Committee to recognize that Falkland Islanders, like any other people, were entitled to exercise the right of self-determination. They reiterated that the people of the Falkland Islands did not wish for any change in the status of the Islands. The delegation concluded, "There can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the Islanders so wish. The United Kingdom has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands." By Bernice Hewitt - SeAled PR - Stanley
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