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Argentina claims Boris Johnson is willing to dialogue on the Falklands issue

Thursday, June 27th 2019 - 09:55 UTC
Full article 15 comments
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with Argentine foreign minister Jorge Faurie UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with Argentine foreign minister Jorge Faurie
Boris Johnson in Buenos Aires, in May 2018, for the G20 foreign ministers summit Boris Johnson in Buenos Aires, in May 2018, for the G20 foreign ministers summit

Boris Johnson, the leading candidate in the current process to replace Theresa May as UK prime minister is open to dialogue on the Falklands/Malvinas issue, said Argentine foreign minister Jorge Faurie during a meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

On Wednesday the Argentine delegation that attended the Decolonization Committee, C24 debate visited Mr. Guterres to request he continues with his relevant “good offices” in trying to convince the UK to sit at the table and resume negotiations with Argentina on the Falklands, following on UN General Assembly resolutions and the latest from the C24 on Tuesday.

“There was a clear willingness and definitive commitment from Guterres to call on the UK to dialogue with Argentina”, on the Falklands/Malvinas dispute, said one of the participants of the meeting with Mr. Guterres, quoted in the Argentine news agency Infobae.

Minister Faurie on the occasion was accompanied by government and opposition lawmakers from the C24 delegation, plus the permanent representative before the UN in New York, ambassador Martin Garcia Moritan.

However according to the report from Martin Dinatale, who writes on diplomatic and Falklands/Malvinas issues, the UN Secretary General was somehow reluctant not about the request, but rather the opportunity, since the UK is going through a complicated political situation following the resignation of Theresa May as prime minister and there is not a clear course in London.

It was then that minister Faurie underlined it was precisely a “good opportunity” to open a way for dialogue since among the hopefuls to replace Mrs. May is Boris Johnson “who has shown his willingness to dialogue with Argentina on the Falklands/Malvinas question”.

A year ago, May 2018, Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary made a quick visit to Buenos Aires as part of a South American tour, and deposited a flower wreath at the monument in central Buenos Aires to the memory of those Argentines who fell during the 1982 conflict.

Mr. Johnson was in Buenos Aires for a G20 meeting of foreign ministers ahead of the leaders' summit in December that year. During his brief stay, the short lived foreign secretary met Argentina's leaders in the framework of the new constructive attitude from the president Mauricio Macri administration towards the UK and the Falklands' dispute.

UN Secretary General Guterres said he would go ahead with his “good offices” commitment to call on the UK to sit and dialogue over the Falklands' sovereignty although no date or official format for the Argentine request was advanced.

Minister Faurie reiterated that Argentina strongly believes in the significance of sitting at a table to address and debate, constructively, “all our differences” He also mentioned the recent advisory opinion from the International Court of The Hague calling on the UK to end colonization of the Chagos archipelago, and its return to Mauritius island.

“This is a major blow to colonialism, a historic win for Mauritius and reinforces the juridical stand of Argentina in its claim over the Malvinas Islands” pointed out Faurie, “a valuable antecedent” for Argentina's claim which will be incorporated to the C24 record.

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  • Mike Summers

    What a complete load of ****. Secretaries General will only use “good offices” to facilitate a negotiation when both Member States agree. Since there is nothing to discuss he will not commit to a one sided request. And Mr Johnson is on public record as supporting the Islanders right to self determination. A lot of wishful thinking with no substance, and clear attempt at manipulation of Argentine public opinion.

    Jun 27th, 2019 - 11:36 am +8
  • kelperabout

    How many times does one have to repeat that the Falkland Islanders wishes to remain a British Overseas territory. When will the decent people in the world realise that Argentina is attempting to steal yet another land.
    When will the world order recognise our rights to self determination.
    When will Argentina finally get the message we want nothing to do with them so long as they insist that sovereignty must be negotiated.
    When will Argentina recognise us as a people with these rights.
    Clearly the world of politicians are out of touch with the modern world . Boris Johnson has no right to start negotiations about our sovereignty without we say to do so and right now that will never be granted. Remember the pledge by Britain that nothing will be done against the wishes of the people of the Falkland Islands.

    Why cannot Argentina go to the ICJ and resolve this issue once and for all. We know that they will not because they would lose . They would never accept the outcome . They are their own worst enemy when it comes to acquiring land.

    They are on record for land grabbing when they removed the indigenous people of that land.
    They have no right whatsoever to the Falkland islands and should be warned that bullying is not permitted. They lost a war because of that attitude in 1982 and if they continue to be a bully towards us it will continue to harden our resolve to not do business with them.

    Jun 27th, 2019 - 10:30 am +4
  • Roger Lorton

    MoreCrap - Buenos Aires was trespassing in 1833. Not Argentina, Buenos Aires acting as a Province, not on behalf of the Confederation.

    https://falklandstimeline.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/senadoargentina-sesion18820729.pdf

    And there is nothing to negotiate over. If Argentina believes that Boris is amenable about talks, then they clearly do not know Boris.

    Jun 28th, 2019 - 06:57 am +3
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