MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Right and proper” Islanders are involved in meetings that concern the Falklands

Hague’s offer for a meeting with Timerman still stands, says Foreign Office

The Foreign Office has reiterated its concern about the Argentine’s government behaviour towards the Falkland Islanders and considers it ‘right and proper’ that they should be involved in the part of those meetings with Argentina that concern the Islands.

In a brief statement on the eve of Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman trip to London for a week of activities related to Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Malvinas, a Foreign Office spokesperson said that despite Minsister Timerman rejection of a meeting with the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and representatives of the Falkland Islands Government, the offer of a meeting ‘on these terms’ still stands.

“We note that Mr. Timerman has publicly rejected the Foreign Secretary’s offer of a meeting whilst he is in the UK. We have always said that we are open to discuss a wide range of issues that affect our two countries, including our respective interests as members of the United Nations Security Council”.

However, “it is clear from Mr Timerman plans in the UK that the Falkland Islands are already on his agenda. We remain concerned about the Argentine government’s behavior towards the Falkland Islanders, so it is right and proper that they are involved in the part of the meeting that concerns the Islands. We have made that clear to the Argentine Government in recent exchanges, and the Foreign Secretary’s offer of a meeting on these terms still stands”, concludes the brief statement.