MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ban Ki-moon calls on Argentina and UK to scale down Falklands’ dispute

UK is by far the military power of the South Atlantic and has increased its naval power four-fold

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced hope that Argentina and the United Kingdom can avoid escalating their dispute over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) and resolve their differences through dialogue.

Ban Ki-moon met with Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Hector Timerman in New York Friday morning, and the two officials discussed recent developments relating to the disputed Islands.

Timerman travelled especially to the UN to file a complain accusing the UK of “militarization” of the South Atlantic and the Falklands Islands based on the announcement that the UK was sending one of its most modern vessels HMS Dauntless to patrol the Islands.

Likewise Prince William, heir of the British Crown has been deployed on a routine tour to the Islands as a “military pilot” and finally reports that a nuclear powered submarine allegedly with nuclear arms was heading for the South Atlantic.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the increasingly strong exchanges between Buenos Aires and London, according to information released by a spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

He called on the two governments to avoid escalating their dispute and to resolve their differences peacefully and through dialogue, stressing that his good offices remain available if requested.

Earlier this week President Cristina Fernández announced at a rally in Government House and on national television that Argentina would file a formal complaint before the UN accusing the UK of “militarization” of the Falklands/Malvinas diplomatic dispute.

Timerman later held a meeting with the president of the UN's General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser to inform him about the complaint he presented earlier and later did likewise with the president of the Security Council, Ambassador Kodjo Menan.

Following the round of meetings the Argentine official gave a press conference in which he explained the “militarization” of the Malvinas islands and highlighted the presence of the powerful warship HMS Dauntless and other war-crafts.

The minister said that Argentina and other countries from the region had asked the UK to confirm or deny the version of the nuke sub announced by the British press. “So far we’ve had no reply” said Timerman who described the South Atlantic as “the last refuge of a decadent empire”.

Timerman then mentioned the “Vanguard” as the nuclear powered submarine allegedly heading south and showed pictures to the press.

“Argentina will not accept the presence of nuclear arms in the zone of influence of Latin America; the information we have is that the British have introduced nuclear arms to the South Atlantic, and this is not the first time”, said Timerman.

“HMS Dauntless which has left for the South Atlantic is the most modern destroyer of the Royal navy and with this element the UK has increased four-fold its naval power in the south”, pointed out Timerman who mentioned the presence of Typhoon fighter jets, similar to those used in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus Taurus missiles with a range of 500 kilometres that can reach the south of Brazil.

“From Malvinas they can attack quite a piece of Chile, Uruguay and even the south of Brazil”, said Timerman adding that “the UK is by far the military power of the South Atlantic”, which not only controls all the air and sea movements into the South Atlantic but also air and maritime traffic between South America and South Africa”

“Can any expert explain to me why the UK has in the South Atlantic a military display similar to that it has in the Persian Gulf?”

Finally Timerman said that Argentina channels all sovereignty claims through the UN because that is “the world organization for the defence of peace by excellence” and underlined the unanimous support for Argentina from all Latin American nations in the dispute with the UK over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.