MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Latam Energy Organization approves statement on “Malvinas sovereignty”

OLADE was created in 1973 and has been ratified by 27 countries of the Latin America and the Caribbean, and there is an annual ministerial meeting.

Energy ministers from the Latin American Energy Organization, OLADE, meeting in San Salvador approved last Friday a statement on “Malvinas Islands sovereignty” referred to the “illegal hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation undertaken in the Islands surrounding waters”, points out a release from the Argentine Foreign ministry.

 This allegedly is the second OLADE statement on the issue: the first was last year at eh ministerial meeting in Dominican Republic. OLADE was created in 1973 and has been ratified by 27 countries of the Latin America and the Caribbean, and there is an annual ministerial meeting.

According to Decision XLIV/502, ministers ratified their strong support for Argentina's sovereignty rights over the disputed Falklands/Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, and surrounding maritime spaces and acknowledged Argentina's right to commence legal actions against non authorized exploration and exploitation activities in those spaces.

However the OLADE members only took notice of the measures implemented by Argentina to sanction oil companies operating in the Falkland Islands.

The OLADE statement follows others from Mercosur and associated states, ALADI and the Group of 77 plus China.

The release also points out that CELAC, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States last year underlined member nations' right to standing sovereignty over their natural energy resources according to each member's legal framework. Likewise the non authorized by Argentina activities in the continental shelf of the Malvinas Islands is contrary to Resolution 31/49 of the UN General Assembly calling on Argentina and the UK not to adopt unilateral decisions that modify the current state of the sovereignty dispute over the Islands.

Based on this OLADE members have the full right to defend and protect natural resources in their territories, in full exercise of their sovereign rights. Finally OLADE took notice of the Argentine Energy Secretary resolutions referred to the non authorized exploration and exploitation hydrocarbons activities in the maritime spaces surrounding the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

This refers to the decision by Argentina to declare that the six 'clandestine' oil companies operating in the Falklands in non authorized activities have been banned from operating in Argentina between 15 and 20 years, concludes the Argentine foreign ministry release.