MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' lawmakers travel to the UK to address a long agenda including Brexit

MLAs Roger Edwards and Roger Spink will attend next month the Special Committee on Decolonization, C24 at the United Nations in New York

This month five Falkland Islands lawmakers, elected Members of the Legislative Assembly, according to a release from the Islands' government are travelling to the UK to have a series of key meetings with the oil industry, trade partners and UK parliamentarians, and to reiterate the need for a good deal for the Falkland Islands in the context of continuing Brexit negotiations.

MLAs Teslyn Barkman, Dr Barry Elsby, Mark Pollard, Leona Roberts and Roger Spink will be accompanied by Chief Executive Barry Rowland and will meet with senior politicians and UK Government officials in order to make the case for the Falkland Islands in terms of the economy, trade deals and developing our hydrocarbons industry.

Also this same month, the release says that MLA Leona Roberts and Dr Barry Elsby will be attending the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s British Isles and Mediterranean Regional (BIMR) Conference in Guernsey, which aims to strengthen Commonwealth parliaments to deliver effective oversight, scrutiny and representation. 

MLA Roberts currently sits on the CPA Executive as one of the BIMR representatives.

On route to the UK, MLA Elsby, will be travelling via South America and will continue efforts to reinforce public diplomacy links with the region, following recent successful inbound visits from representatives from Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. 

MLA Roger Edwards meanwhile attended the Special Committee on Decolonization Caribbean Regional Seminar which took place in St George's, Grenada.

The Falklands government also announced that MLA Roger Edwards and MLA Roger Spink will be travelling next month to New York for the annual meeting at the United Nations of the Special Committee on Decolonization, or C24, and will be accompanied by Special Advisors, Jack Ford and Tamsin McLeod, as voluntary representatives of the Falklands' community.

MLA Stacy Bragger will be Chair of Legislative Assembly throughout the month of May.