MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas/Gibraltar has ‘enormous similarities’ and Spain could vote jointly with Argentina

Garcia-Margallo described three ‘basic similarities’ in support of Argentina’s position of the Malvinas

Spain could vote jointly with Argentina resolutions on Gibraltar and the Malvinas Islands in international forums, although with some reserves, admitted Spanish Foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo during his visit to Uruguay.

At a media round Garcia Margallo said that Spain, based on “coherence and common sense” could vote jointly with Argentina on both contentious issues, since they have ‘enormous similarities’ and those forums could be the United Nations and the Ibero-American summits.

Those ‘similarities’ refer to three aspects: first they are “territories subject to decolonization”; to which must “the principle of self determination does not apply but yes that of territorial integrity” plus the fact that in any “conflict or contentious’ situation, it must be resolved through negotiations of the countries involved, In the case of Gibraltar the UK and Spain, and in Malvinas, the UK and Argentina”.

“In those three points Argentina can always count with the support of Spain and I’m sure Spain will always count with the support from Argentina”, said the Spanish head of diplomacy.

However, “something different are the domestic decisions of each country based on its own national interests”, pointed out Garcia-Margallo.

“There are some domestic resolutions from Argentina which we don’t have to support and probably there are resolutions in issues we have adopted that Argentina does not have to support” said the Spanish official.

Garcia-Margallo arrive on Thursday to Montevideo for a few hours en route to Buenos Aires where the Spanish delegation is promoting the candidacy of Madrid for 2020 Olympic Games and in the framework of a brief visit to the Southern Cone that also includes Uruguay.

The minister is scheduled to meet with Uruguayan president Jose Mujica and on Friday will hold a round of contacts with Spanish companies in Uruguay, before returning to Buenos Aires for the crucial Olympics vote and announcement on Saturday.