MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UN Argentine ambassador ratifies air isolation threat to the Falkland Islands
Argüello, Argentina’s position “is totally logical” The Argentine Ambassador before the UN, Jorge Argüello, ratified Thursday morning that if the United Kingdom keeps on refusing to discuss and negotiate Malvinas Islands’ sovereignty, the government will cancel flights to the South Atlantic archipelago.
Before reporters Argüello asked “Why should Argentina keep facilitating British citizens to travel between the Islands and mainland Argentina, while the UK refuses to negotiate sovereignty over the archipelago and keeps on appropriating natural resources from it?”, and concluded, “So, it’s totally logical if Argentina finally decides to reconsider all agreements signed with the UK.”
Agreements signed in 1999 allowed for Chilean flights going from Punta Arenas, Chile to Falklands/Malvinas Islands to not only flight over mainland Argentina but to make stops in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz province.
Likewise, Argüello indicated that the President’s speech “went in the same direction that Argentina’s foreign policies have always gone regarding this topic, which is to work toward reopening the bilateral dialogue with UK.”
Argüello warned that “only 400 kilometres away from Argentina’s Isla de los Estados there is a major military base” set up and run by the colonial power of Great Britain.
“Argentina has part of its territory under foreign military occupation, thus our demand and our claim. The intensity of the claim has varied according to the historic circumstances we have lived”, said ambassador Argüello.
“For decades the UN resolutions have supported Argentina’s claims but the UK, taking advantage of its Security Council condition has ignored one and all of them”.
However in spite of the aggressive language the extent of the Argentine president warning is not entirely clear since the agreement signed by then President Carlos Menem and former PM Tony Blair also involve Chile, Lan Chile and Punta Arenas the regular hub for the air link with the South American continent.
Britain has repeatedly stated that sovereignty negotiations with Argentina will only take place when the Falkland Islands people in full use of their right to self determination support such a position.
Last June British PM David Cameron during a parliamentary speech regarding Argentina’s claim stated that sovereignty unless Islanders feel otherwise “is not negotiable. Period”.
Cristina Fernández the following day described Cameron’s emphatic refusal to discuss Falklands’ sovereignty as “mediocre and almost stupid” and promised to continue indefatigably with the claim in all world forums.
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Disclaimer & comment rules-
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Read all comments1999 - “ ... Access and Air Services
Sep 23rd, 2011 - 01:57 am 01. Argentine citizens will be able to visit the Falkland Islands, on their own passports. This provision applies equally to Argentine citizens travelling by air and by sea.
2. Full support for the immediate resumption of direct scheduled civil air services between Chile and the Falkland Islands, operated by Lan Chile or any other carrier agreed between the Parties. From 16 October 1999, these services will be able to take on and discharge passengers, cargo and mail.
3. The possibility of flights between the Falkland Islands and third countries was welcomed with the option, from 16 October 1999, of making stops in mainland Argentina ...”
http://falklandstimeline.wordpress.com/1983-1999/
2003 – In November, the Argentine government withdraws permission for charter flights to the Falklands to over-fly Argentine airspace. Argentina also demands that HMG should negotiate with them to arrange scheduled flights directly from Argentina to the Falklands and that they were not willing to talk to Falkland Islands representatives.
[“The Falkland Islands Government is wholly opposed to any scheduled flights originating in Argentina or operated by Argentine carriers. The concern would be, based on past experience, that the Argentines could not be trusted not to heavily subsidise the flight, to such an extent that it made the Lan Chile flight no longer commercial and caused its withdrawal, following which we would have commercial scheduled flights only through Argentina. This of course is reminiscent of the situation in the 1970's and is unacceptable.” - (Parliamentary letter dated 15.1.2004)] ..”
http://falklandstimeline.wordpress.com/1983-1999/
Just politics :-)
Penguin eggs , and sheep ribs will be your breakfast again then...
Sep 23rd, 2011 - 02:35 am 0“the agreement signed by then President Carlos Menem and former PM Tony Blair”
Sep 23rd, 2011 - 02:43 am 0Enough reason to end it.
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