MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: Argentine lawmakers propose two “spaces of confidence” one with UK, the other with Islanders

“We had several meetings on Tuesday but probably the most significant was that with minister Alan Duncan” said Senator Pinedo

Argentine lawmakers visiting the UK proposed “generating a space of confidence between Argentina and the UK, and between Argentina and the Islanders, so that in the future a good faith discussion” on the Malvinas Islands sovereignty can be addressed. Likewise additional flights to the Falklands must at some point call in Argentina.

 Argentine Senate whip and head of the multi-party delegation Federico Pinedo, confirmed that the Malvinas issue, boosting trade, scientific exchange, investments, tourism and combating corruption, were several of the issues discussed on Tuesday with Foreign Office Americas minister Sir Alan Duncan.

“We had several meetings on Tuesday but probably the most significant was that with minister Alan Duncan, with whom we went over issues from the positive agenda, meaning trade, financing investments, human rights, Argentina's OECD membership and combating corruption”, pointed out Pinedo on the second day of the visit.

As to Malvinas, “we expressed the historic position of Argentina on the matter and proposed generating a confidence space between Argentina and the UK, and between Argentina and the Islanders, so that in the future we can reach a good faith discussion on sovereignty”.

More specifically on additional flights from the Falklands, and Sir Duncan's stance, “we explained that we could not accept Islanders' position discriminating Argentina and holding direct talks with third countries”, argued Pinedo.

The historic position is that the flights must necessarily call in Argentina at some point and moment, and ”this is an issue included in the (September) joint statement signed between Argentina and UK, so that the debate must take place in Congress, and we are working on that“, insisted the Senator, a close ally of president Macri and whose family ancestors are linked to Malvinas settlers in the early XIXth century.

”Duncan said he had told the Islanders that advancing on the flights issue must be gradual and respecting the situation and political position of Argentina“, revealed Senator Pinedo. He added that Duncan ”was most emphatic that the vandalizing of the Darwin cemetery is being closely investigated and followed, which is very positive“.

The multi party delegation which was accompanied by UK ambassador in Buenos Aires, Mark Kent, and Argentine ambassador in London, Carlos Sersale di Cerisano, also met with peers from the House of Commons and Lords, and ”here also we presented the Malvinas question in the same terms“.

Other issues included the Lords interest in having UK participate in the Argentine railway development; financing small and medium companies through the London market; improving Argentina's credit rating so that the UK can export more capital goods and attract more investments, ”as seems to be taking off“.

The Argentine delegation later left for Scotland where the lawmakers are expected to meet peers, visit the University of Edinburgh and several companies with investments in Argentina. Glasgow is also in the agenda.

”These are the first steps of a legislative diplomacy approach in the framework of the Inter-parliamentary Union, of which Argentina is a member“ said Pinedo. IPU promotes meetings and exchanges between the different elected legislatives worldwide, and in this case the invitation was extended to the Argentine delegation by the IPU British chapter.

Members of the delegation said that the meeting on the Malvinas question was ”very amicable, and not only did we underline Argentina's rights but also the fact that any advances must necessarily be discussed in Congress”.

The official delegation is made up of three senators - Federico Pinedo, Lucila Crexell and Rodolfo Urtubey, and three deputies - Margarita Stolbizer, Eduardo Amadeo and Alejandro Grandinetti. The Argentine Ambassador to the UK, Carlos Sersale di Cerisano, and other Argentine officials, will also take part.

Senator Pinedo on the sidelines met with Conservative MP Colin Bloom head of the party's international relations, and formalized the affiliation of president Macri's party PRO, to the International Democratic Union which brings together conservative parties.

This is the second visit to the UK of a multi-party Argentine lawmakers delegation, since Macri took office. The first was last June. UK MPs have also been to Argentina.