MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Identification of soldiers buried in Falklands: talks on protocol procedure being in Geneva
MLA Mike Summers will represent the Falklands as a member of the British delegation to the talks in Geneva 
The Argentine delegation is headed by Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic Under Secretary María Teresa Kralikas, and Osvaldo Marsico 
According to Argentine official sources the number of graves at Darwin cemetery with non identified remains totals 123. The governments of Argentina and the Falkland Islands reported almost simultaneously this week that respective delegates had left for Geneva, Switzerland to hold talks on Thursday and Friday with the International Red Cross (CICR) on the process to follow for the identification of 'unknown' Argentine combatants buried at the Darwin cemetery in the Falklands.
According to the Argentine foreign ministry the bilateral meeting (UK and Argentina) will take place Thursday and Friday, when “it is expected to agree on the terms of the mandate which both sides will extend to the CICR so it can proceed with the initiative of strict humanitarian nature”.
From the Falklands it was reported that lawmaker MLA Mike Summers left on Tuesday for Geneva to attend talks relating to DNA testing of the remains of Argentine combatants buried in Darwin cemetery in the Falklands.
The talks will comprise Argentine and British diplomats as well as members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and MLA Summers.
The Falklands report also mentions the fact that the meetings were considered “highly sensitive by the Argentine government due to Falkland Islanders being included”. It is well known that the Argentine approach to Falklands discussions, the only it accepts, are bilateral and under no circumstances tri-lateral (including Falklands representatives).
The Argentine foreign ministry report recalls that minister Susana Malcorra last 22 November said the Argentine government had contacted all the families of the 123 unidentified, whose remains are buried in the Darwin cemetery.
Malcorra said at the time that her office was looking to reconfirm with these families their willingness or not, to agree with the task of identifying the remains.
CICR will coordinate all identification tasks and in the Geneva meeting the purpose is to agree on the protocol so that exhumation of the remains can proceed.
Argentine foreign ministry sources confirmed that the Geneva delegation is headed by Maria Teresa Kralikas, head of the Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic Under Secretary, plus Osvaldo Marisco, director general of that office. Other members are ambassador in Geneva, Hector Marcelo Cima; the head of the Foreign minister private secretary office Tomas Giudici and Legal counselor Mario Oyarzabal.
The report also points out that Argentina and UK coincided last September, in a joint release, in their determination to give full support to the DNA identification process of the combatants.
Falklands also mentions that last September UK and Argentina signed a joint release which included the commitment to support the identification of the soldiers. Previous to that the Red Cross last June was in the Falklands and stated they were well aware of the wishes of the Argentine families.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all commentsWe still go round in circles more than 30 years on. Argentina still toys with the dead kids bodies long after it made a fatal bet with their young lives, sending them to invade a peace loving land and only for its internal political reasons: its failing economy and many internal crimes, its invented dispute of the 1940s fascist era, its indoctrination of all its children..
Dec 08th, 2016 - 11:46 am +5These kids should all be resting close to their families, where their loved ones can visit their graves and not be further punished as they are now so far away. They all are the innocent victims of Argentina's brainwashing policy and its murderous military, it is time for Argentina to stop posturing and not only identify the bodies but take them home taking up the generous offer fo the UK in that respect, giving closure to this sad situation created by a sick Argentine mind.
No doubt the Argentinians will still be in their 'pretend mode'.-- Malcorra - Transplanted population MercoPress 10 Nov 2016 Malcorra said that historically the Argentine position was not to acknowledge for this case in particular the “self determination of peoples”, because 'kelpers' (Falkland Islanders) are a transplanted population, not aborigine.
Dec 08th, 2016 - 10:40 am +4They have to pretend because the have nothing else: Falklands: 1833 Usurpation & UN Resolutions:
https://www.academia.edu/21721198/Falklands_1833_Usurpation_and_UN_Resolutions
I hear that the Argentine side still do not have enough consents from the families to satisfy the ICRC's requirements and are looking to persuade the ICRC to change those 'red lines.' I also hear that Argentina is attempting to change the September deal and somehow link it all to the Joint Statement from earlier in the year. Basically, I hear that Argentina is being its usual (viveza criolla) self and trying to change everything to suit its own ends. As a result, there is no certainty how this will go. Time will tell. I do know one thing for sure, that Argentina is setting itself up to blame the Islanders if it all goes tits up. No surprises there.
Dec 08th, 2016 - 11:09 am +4Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!