MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina 'upset and disappointed' with UK military exercises in Falklands but insists with dialogue

“We feel upset and deeply disappointed because it entails a presumption of conflict hypothesis”, pointed out minister Malcorra during a media conference at the Argentine embassy in the Vatican

The Argentine government feels “upset and deeply disappointed” with the announced British military exercises in the Falklands/Malvinas, which includes the launching of missiles, but nevertheless the government will continue working “to build the opportunity of a dialogue which eliminates the presumptions of conflict” with the UK, said foreign minister Susana Malcorra on Saturday in the Vatican.

 The Argentine government feels “upset and deeply disappointed” with the announced British military exercises in the Falklands/Malvinas, which includes the launching of missiles, but nevertheless the government will continue working “to build the opportunity of a dialogue which eliminates the presumptions of conflict” with the UK, said foreign minister Susana Malcorra on Saturday in the Vatican.

“We feel upset and deeply disappointed because it entails a presumption of conflict hypothesis, when Argentina has clearly established in its constitution that Malvinas claims will be done in the framework of International Law”, pointed out the minister during a media conference at the Argentine embassy in the Vatican, where she is part of a delegation headed by president Mauricio Macri who met with Pope Francis.

Malcorra picked up on president Macri who chatting with the Argentine media following “a most satisfactory” meeting with the Pope was surprised with a question about military exercises in the Falklands: he replied that all questions referred to the Malvinas question must be addressed to the foreign minister.

”Those two issues were not in the agenda with the Pope, so if you have any concerns on the Malvinas question, the foreign minister (Malcorra) is at the embassy, and she will take any questions“, said Macri.

”These exercises are the reiteration of an annual practice. They are not new, but this does not mean it is not a serious issue since Argentina has clearly established in its constitution that all Malvinas claims will be done in the framework of International Law“, insisted Malcorra, adding the goal is to construct dialogue and eliminate conflict presumptions.

The minister said that following the UK's announcement through the usual channels, Argentina appealed to international instruments: it called UK ambassador Mark Kent to lodge a formal protest and also sent a letter to the UN Secretary General explaining the facts.

Last Friday Argentina Defense ministry's Naval Hydrographic Service, SHN reported that ”English military forces illegally occupying Argentine territory of the Malvinas Islands, have notified that they will be involved in an exercise which includes the launching of missiles“.

The British military announced the actions will take place between 11:00 and 23:00 hours from October 19 to 28 in the Falklands/Malvinas zone, which was immediately rejected by the Argentine foreign ministry in a two-way mechanism: an official release and a protest note delivered in hand to British ambassador Mark Kent, who was summoned to the Foreign ministry.

Since minister Malcorra is currently in Rome accompanying the President, Deputy minister Carlos Foradori handed the note to ambassador Kent with ”a strong formal protest given the announced military exercises“, which are taking place in ”Argentine territory illegitimately occupied“.

Following on this the Argentine ministry sent a letter to the UN Secretary General expressing the Argentine government's disappointment with the fact UK continues to insist with these regular military exercises.

The ministry said that the planned military exercises “contradict the principle of peaceful conflict resolution” and called the Falklands “Argentine territory illegitimately occupied by the United Kingdom”. It added that this action ignores UN and other international organizations resolutions call on both sides to resume negotiations to find a peaceful and definitive solution to the sovereignty dispute as well as abstaining from any unilateral actions in the territories and maritime spaces under dispute”.

From the Falklands, lawmaker MLA Mike Summers downplayed the planned exercises, “they are routine practice but they are also defense exercises because we have already been invaded by Argentina”.