MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UN Assembly president, strong defender of Argentina in Malvinas question

Taiana promises a strong and clear message in support of Argentine rights.

The president of the United Nations General Assembly is “well informed” on the Malvinas Islands issue and is a “strong defender of Argentine rights (over the Falkland Islands) and very much personally interested in all the claim process which Argentina has been intensifying”, said Argentine Foreign Secretary Jorge Taiana in New York.

The Argentine official arrived in New York on Wednesday in advance of his Thursday presentation before the United Nations Decolonization Committee (C24) that will also be listening to speeches from Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly elected members.

“Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann (from Nicaragua) is a well informed person with whom first of all we talked about the Malvinas question; I updated him but he is very knowledgeable on the issue”, said Taiana.

“He is a strong defender of Argentine rights over the Malvinas and is very much personally interested in the claiming process which Argentina has been intensifying”, added the Argentine minister.

But besides Malvinas, “we talked about the international crisis and the High Level meeting D’Escoto has convened for the end of the month as president of the UN General Assembly”.

Taiana said D’Escoto is a man with a great experience in regional affairs, “a much respected figure” who has a high esteem for Argentina, “for the current (Argentine) political process and for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her great success at the ILO conference last Monday where shed addressed the annual assembly”

On Thursday mid-day Taiana is scheduled to address the Decolonization Special Committee, C24, when he will present Argentina’s sovereignty claims over the Falklands/Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich islands and adjoining maritime spaces.

“Our message will be clear and strong: the solid foundations of Argentina’s rights, the claim itself and our demand that the different UN resolutions calling on both sides to sit down and negotiate sovereignty be abided” anticipated Taiana.

According to the Buenos Aires press, before the official session of the C24 committee on the “Islas Malvinas question”, Taiana will be ironing out details of his speech together with the Argentine representation before the UN, such as permanent representative Jorge Argüello and the Director General of the Malvinas and South Atlantic desk, Eduardo Airaldi.

Argentina’s official presentation will be supported by that of two Argentine petitioners linked to these “Argentine territories”, which because of the illegitimate British occupation are motive of a sovereignty dispute whose existence and standing is recognized the Unite Nations.

Following the C24 presentation Mr. Taiana has scheduled an interview with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.