MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine foreign ministry informs Tierra del Fuego delegation on the current Malvinas policy

The visiting delegation met with the foreign ministry team headed by Ambassador Maria Teresa Kralikas

Overall the Argentine government is satisfied how relations with the UK regarding the South Atlantic, and Falklands' sovereignty claims are evolving, was the message with which members of the so called Malvinas Question Observatory from Tierra del Fuego province, returned to Ushuaia after meeting with foreign ministry officials in Buenos Aires, according to local media reports.

 Connectivity, fisheries, oil industry, the South Atlantic “militarization”, were among the main issues addressed by the visiting party during the meeting with the ministry's experts from the Malvinas Under Secretary, particularly given the new focus of the Argentine government policy regarding the Falklands.

In the issue of connectivity, it was advanced that Brazil and Uruguay, as Mercosur members, most probably, one of the two, will be the countries for the second flight to the continent from the Falklands, with a stop in Argentina, hopefully Buenos Aires..

On fisheries the visitors questioned the fact that the South West Atlantic Scientific Sub-committee really “only benefits the British” who extend dozens of licenses and which help sustain the Falklands' economy. However the ministry officials pointed out that these are merely collaboration deals, no agreements signed and that is was highly encouraging that the Sub-committee was again meeting after fourteen years.

As to the oil industry, according to the reports, ministry officials informed visitors that there was no intention of derogating the current legislation.

On “militarization” and the Falklands' missile-testing, twice a year, in April and October, the ministry officials responded that since the beginning of the new September 2016 understanding (Foradori/Duncan), in effect the April trials have not taken place.

But there was also praise for the identification process of 93 combatants buried in the Argentine military cemetery at Darwin, a humanitarian joint task agreed and implemented between Argentina, UK, Falklands support and under the guidance of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

As can be expected the reaction of the Tierra del Fuego delegation was divided among those who felt more inclined to put all the emphasis in the sovereignty demand, but an extended consensus apparently, indicated that the current dialogue path is the one that must be supported since it already has rendered results, and also gives the austral province the opportunity to keep track of events and negotiations.

“We should not be driven by fake news. We have the chance of having questions on the Malvinas policy to the answered by those directly involved. We need a fluid relation between the Malvinas question Observatory and the foreign ministry”, insisted Tomas Bertotto a council member who belongs to the current federal ruling coalition.

“This is the only path to recover full sovereignty over the Malvinas, and we should invite the ministry officials to visit Tierra del Fuego and agree on an agenda”.

The Tierra del Fuego delegation was received by Ambassador Maria Teresa Kralikas, head of the Malvinas Under Secretary, the head of the Malvinas and South Atlantic islands desk, Osvaldo Márisco and Tomas Kroyer, International Relations Under Secretary.