MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UK/Ecuador defuse row, pledge commitment to diplomatic solution for Assange dispute
President Correa: the “unfortunate incident is over” Britain said it remained committed to reaching a diplomatic solution to the presence of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador's London embassy, after both countries took steps to defuse a row over his action in taking refuge there.
Assange has been living in the embassy's cramped quarters for more than two months since fleeing there to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations.
The Latin American state's leader said on Saturday that Britain had withdrawn a threat to enter the embassy to arrest Assange, to whom Ecuador has granted asylum, and that he now considered the “unfortunate incident” was over.
President Rafael Correa was responding to a British assurance that it was not threatening the embassy and that Britain was committed to the Vienna Convention, which protects the inviolability of diplomatic premises.
“We remain committed to the process of dialogue we have entered into and we want that to resume with the government of Ecuador,” a British Foreign Office spokeswoman said.
Britain provoked a furious reaction after telling Ecuador that an obscure British law allowed it, under extreme circumstances, to remove the embassy's diplomatic status, exposing Assange to immediate arrest by police.
Ecuador accused Britain of planning to storm the embassy and demanded it withdraw the threat.
Britain said it had not meant to threaten Ecuador, a plea that fell on deaf ears, prompting it to send Ecuador a formal communication on Thursday confirming that the embassy was safe.
The communication was copied to diplomats at a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington on Friday which discussed the spat.
A British diplomat attending the meeting invited Ecuador to resume “constructive discussions” on Assange, the Foreign Office said. “We believe that our two countries should be able to find a diplomatic solution,” the unnamed diplomat added, according to a transcript issued by the Foreign Office.
Britain says it is determined to fulfil a legal obligation to send Assange to Sweden.
Correa responded to the British diplomatic approach by saying in a weekly media address on Saturday: “We consider this unfortunate incident over, after a grave diplomatic error by the British in which they said they would enter our embassy.”
The OAS had condemned the British threat, and South American foreign ministers backed Correa's position that Britain's warning was unacceptable and could set a dangerous precedent.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all commentsGood Britain....... Goood......
Aug 27th, 2012 - 04:33 am 0Now we would like you to fix a First Class BA ticket to Quito....
And a candlelight dinner with Kate Moss...
Thanks in advance.
And some Condoms ?
Aug 27th, 2012 - 08:42 am 0Hello everyone,
Aug 27th, 2012 - 09:49 am 0ASSANGE.
Mr Burges’ article –a hard to comprehend piece of ‘trendy’ journalism– DOES contain a few elements of honest conjecture, which are perhaps, worth serious consideration. However, he fails to admit the real possibility of Assange’s being illicitly abducted from Sweden or from another country, by an intelligence agency answering to goodness knows whom. We’ve already seen too many cases of such illegal imprisonment, WITHOUT HABEAS CORPUS –‘Extraordinary Rendition’ being a particularly notorious example. Furthermore, Sweden’s recent democratic record is not unblemished. The assassination of that country’s late premier was officially blamed on Libyan state sponsored terrorists but some serious observers disagree with that assumption. And, speaking of the late Col. Gaddafi, the disputed Lockerbee bombing verdict has among its detractors, family members of those killed by the midair explosion of the Pan Am jumbo.
Obviously, no sane person would condone Assange’s ALLEGED sexual misdemeanours but with the published evidence against him in this context now shown to be so weak, I reckon his belief that he’s REALLY being hunted for his role at WIKILEAK, is justified.
SUPREME U.S. MILITARY MIGHT.
Recent history doesn’t support this erroneous affirmation, which ignores the outcome of that country’s bellicose escapades in places such as: Afghanistan, Laos, Somalia, Vietnam and that of its two wars against Iraq, the latter at least of which, was of questionable legality and rationalized by deliberately ‘fabricated’ false UK/US intelligence reports. Without exception, these ill-advised military adventures have ended in their protagonist’s defeat or/and the massacre of many innocent civilians and a miserable legacy for those victims who survived horrendous onslaughts such as ‘Agent Green’ and ‘Shock and Awe’.
Admittedly, most S. American govt’s ain’t got much to write ‘ome about DEMOCRACY but neither have we.
These days, it’s all about economic power –p
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!