MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands/Malvinas not included in Obama/Macri agenda, says Malcorra

Obama and family will be spending two days in Argentina, in Buenos Aires and in Bariloche. Macri will hold meetings in both cities

Argentine president Mauricio Macri will not bring up the issue of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands during his meetings with visiting president Barack Obama, much less request his mediation in the dispute, according to foreign minister Susana Malcorra.

 Speaking to the news agency Noticias Argentinas ahead of the US president visit, Ms Malcorra said that the Malvinas cause, “No, it's not in overall terms an issue of discussion with the United States” so it is not included in the Wednesday/Thursday bilateral agenda with president Obama.

Obama and family will be arriving in Argentina from Cuba early Wednesday, and the US president is scheduled to meet with his peer Macri in Buenos Aires and in Bariloche (Patagonia) to re/launch bilateral relations that have been rather distant when not cold, for almost twelve years under the Kirchner couple presidencies.

Nevertheless in March 2010, then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted a mediation role as a 'friendly country' between Argentina and the UK regarding the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty conflict, following on a special request from then president Cristina Fernandez.

At the time Cristina Fernandez, next to Hillary in Government House (Casa Rosada) announced she had requested ”the mediation of the US as friend of both countries (UK and Argentina), with the purpose of getting both sides to begin negotiations in accordance with the United Nations mandate“.

However Hillary Clinton's position was a half blooper since the State Department has been clear and standing on its position of the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty dispute, even following the 2013 referendum when Islanders overwhelmingly confirmed their decision to continue as a British Overseas Territory.

”Our position on the Falklands has not changed. The United States recognizes de facto U.K. administration of the Islands but takes no position on the question of parties’ sovereignty claims thereto. We support co-operation between U.K. and Argentina on practical matters“.

According to the Buenos Aires media this time the issue is not in the two-day agenda with Obama, there will be no request for lobbying on the Islands with PM David Cameron.

”It's not an issue of discussion with the United States...although we insist on the principle of defending national sovereignty over the Malvinas. But there is no specific point dedicated to the issue“, underlined Ms Malcorra.

At the end of February president Macri affirmed that Argentina ”will not give up on what we think belongs to us”, in reference to the disputed Islands, although adding that the Argentine Executive is willing to sit at a table with UK officials to talk about Malvinas sovereignty.

In early March the Macri administration generated some controversy when it decreed the downgrading of the special Malvinas and South Atlantic islands secretariat at the Foreign ministry which was responsible for addressing all issues related to the Malvinas.