MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK/Argentine agreement on Falklands’ Next of Kin visit

Gov. Huckle: “Pragmatic solution for an issue dragging since 2006”

The UK Embassy in Buenos Aires has announced that UK and Argentine Government have decided to facilitate the initiative of the Commission of the Families of the Fallen to inaugurate the Memorial in Darwin Cemetery on the Falklands Islands.

The construction of the memorial was envisaged under the formula on sovereignty in the Argentine-UK Joint Statement of 14 July 1999.

Next of kin will travel by air to the Falklands Islands on 3 and 10 October 2009, using the scheduled flight service of LAN Chile that was established under the above mentioned Joint Statement of July 1999.

According to the press release, “The announcement of this important act of remembrance is to fulfill the wish of the next of kin of the Argentine Fallen to inaugurate the Memorial in the Islands and in the spirit of promoting co-operation.”

The Governor of the Falkland Islands announced the Next of Kin visit in his Budgetary Speech to the Legislative Assembly adding, “We understand that LAN has agreed to put on a larger aircraft for the purpose on these two dates and to alter the schedule to allow the Argentine visitors to travel in and out on the same flight with sufficient time in between to allow them to attend a ceremony at the cemetery. Both flights will travel from Punta Arenas via Rio Gallegos and back via the same route: the Rio Gallegos leg on 17 October will therefore be cancelled. There have to be two successive Saturday flights (and therefore two ceremonies) to cope with the numbers requested. They are not charter flights but rather the scheduled LAN flight, from which normal passengers to and from the Falklands will not be excluded. There is still much to do in working out the logistics for the pilgrimage and to agree the details of the ceremonies. The Argentines of course accept that the next of kin will have to abide by FIG immigration requirements.

“Why are we doing this? First because the issue has been dragging on since the Falklands Islands Government agreed to the Families Commission’s request back in late 2006. Second, because it was becoming all too clear that the impasse over whether they should come by ship rather than by air was beginning to exacerbate relations to the point where, possibly, action might have been taken against our interests. Third because all sides, including the Falkland Islands Government, wanted the pilgrimage to go ahead. This proposal involves the next of kin coming by the scheduled flight, albeit with some minor re-arrangements. It is a pragmatic solution, which should lead to a successful outcome.”

Initially Argentina had demanded a the Next of Kin be allowed to enter the Falkland Islands on a chartered aircraft, but the Government of the Islands were quick to point out that this was unacceptable as Argentina itself had banned chartered flights to the Falkland Islands.

Addressing the Legislative Assembly Councillor Mike Summers said he was pleased the visit would go ahead, “...because it has been dragging on for a long while,” and had been causing friction between Britain and Argentina. He added, “I believe we have found an effective way forward that doesn't compromise our principles.”

By Lisa Johnston – SeAledPR - Stanley