MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands’ Government Congratulates PM Cameron and New Secretaries

PM David Cameron

The Falkland Islands Government has congratulated the new British Prime Minister David Cameron, Foreign Secretary William Hague and Defence Secretary Liam Fox on their appointments.

The letters were signed by the Hon. Emma Edwards Member of Legislative Council (MLA) on behalf of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands as she travels through London on her way to New Caledonia to attend a seminar on de-colonisation organised by the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization.

The letters note, “The people of the Falkland Islands greatly appreciate the support that we have received from the Conservative Party over the years. As we continue with our economic development, we appreciate the robust stance on our sovereignty and our right to self-determination.”

She said the Falkland Islands Government are delighted that Mr. William Hague and Mr. Liam Fox have already visited the Falklands, and look forward to working with them and their colleagues to the benefit of the British Government and the Falklands.

Miss Edwards has also sent a letter of appreciation on behalf of the Legislative Assembly to Gordon Brown, to thank him for the robust stance that he and his Government took on the rights of Falkland Islanders to self determination, his refusal to entertain any discussion of sovereignty, and the strong messages that he gave in relation to oil exploration around the Falklands. Members sent Mr. Brown and his family their very best wishes for the future.

Speaking to MercoPress, the Hon. Bill Luxton MLA said, “We are quite content that the new British Government will continue to support our rights to political self-determination and economic development just as previous British Governments have done.”

On April 4 this year, David Cameron said in The Mail on Sunday “It is completely non-negotiable. The Falkland Islanders want to remain British and that is absolutely clear and we should have absolutely no truck with people who say otherwise. It’s a very clear-cut case if you believe in self-determination. I was only 16 at the time but I remember thinking that the war was entirely justified. The Falkland Islands are now much better defended and they should always be well defended, in my view, so that you don’t ever give any hint to the Argentinians that there is any prospect of their status changing.”

Mr. Luxton confirmed that Sukey Cameron—the Falkland Islands Government Representative in London—“… will continue to make contact with Members of Parliament and brief them on Falklands issues as we always have done. There will be no change in the focus of our activities in London.”

Lisa Watson – SeAledPR – Stanley