MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina prepares strong diplomatic offensive to recover Falklands' sovereignty
Foreign minister Solá said that the recovery of full sovereignty exercise over the Malvinas is a State policy and a strong feeling of the Argentine people 
A letter was sent to the EU Commissioner Joseph Borrell requesting that Malvinas not be included in the post Brexit talks on a free trade accord with the UK Argentina is planning to intensify its policy to claim sovereignty over the Falklands and other South Atlantic Islands with a road map that contemplates three immediate objectives, reinstate in the Organization of American States the claim, resurface the legal threat against oil companies operating in South Atlantic (Falklands) waters and put pressure on the European Union so that a post-Brexit trade agreement with the UK does not include the Falklands in the list of Overseas Territories.
This was outlined in a column published in Argentine news agency Infobae by Martin Dinatale, a political reporter who has solid knowledge of Argentine foreign policy affairs and has a special penchant for South Atlantic issues.
According to Dinatale this impulse has been boosted by the recent unanimous approval in Congress of two of three bills considered pillars for this strategy, one of them the so called catch-all National Council of Affairs relative to the Malvinas Islands, and the other extending the outer borders of Argentine continental shelf including the litigation area. To this must be added the passing by the UN Decolonization Committee, or C24, of a resolution calling on Argentina and UK to resume negotiations for a peaceful and definitive solution to the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty controversy.
The third bill still to be passed refers to significant increases in the fines, --linked to the price of fuel-- imposed on vessels caught fishing illegally in South Atlantic waters
Foreign minister Felipe Solá said that the recovery of full sovereignty exercise over the Malvinas is a State policy and a strong feeling of the Argentine people, adding that “the strategy is on the right track”.
The C24 resolution was backed by all 29 members, and apparently some Caribbean and African members of the Commonwealth had to be convinced to back the proposal presented by Latin American countries in support of Argentina's claim, which appeals to Resolution 2065 of the UN General Assembly..
More specifically on the road map, Argentine diplomacy is aware that in the OAS, although it will count with Latin American alignment, it will be meeting with the strong positions of Canada and the US. Anyhow Argentina will, as in the good years of ex president Cristina Kirchner, appeal to all other possible international forae.
Parallel to this, a letter was sent to the EU Commissioner Joseph Borrell requesting that the Malvinas not be included in the post Brexit talks on a free trade accord with the UK. According to Dinatale “the idea was 'endorsed' by the EU and will insist to London not to contemplate the Falklands in the trade accord, since it was a territory in dispute”
Regarding oil in Falklands' waters the initiative is based on a 2015 criminal demand against companies operating in the area, which included impounding assets and locking up the heads of the companies if caught in Argentina.
Apparently the target is a consortium of companies in the process of contracting a semi submersible oil rig, operating to the north of the Falklands and which drilled at least six wells. The criminal demand was initiated against board members, managers and representatives from Rockhopper Exploration, Premier Oil, Falklands Oil & Gas Ltd, Noble Energy and Edison International SpA.
Last but not least, Dinatale mentions that in parallel to this advance for the recovery of the Falklands, Argentina had a gesture towards the Islanders since humanitarian flights between Chile and the Islands were not impeded.
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Read all commentsIf the Argentines had an ounce of sense which of course they have not, they would steer clear of trying to put wedges between Europe and the Falkland Islands trade.
Aug 07th, 2020 - 11:21 am +6They are forgetting the real importance of Falklands fish produce and in particular squid has in feeding the European people.
But of course that is what Argentina really wants is the fish stock we have. It must really be hurting them to see this very small country just four hundred miles off their coastline professionally managing their fish stock and finances. This little country with a mere 3500 inhabitants are shoving success right in the face of their neighbours failing economy that is debt ridden and wants to find new fortunes that we already successfully manage.
To interfere with the Falklands will be their final undoing , the world thinking has changed and no longer does it allow aggression or threatening behaviour towards another people.
We still have a very powerful economy for our size and Europe recognises the importance of our fish stock to their markets.
So Argentina be prepared to be disappointed in your current plans to derail a succesful Falklands European relationship.
Case is indeed closed Old 'Un. But I still enjoy correcting your obvious errors. Mate has been and gone. After all, where is the advantage in the UK restarting a game it already won.
Aug 08th, 2020 - 07:44 am +6Get it?
Thunk - what nonsense is this... ”1) Some days ago..., the 29 members of The United Nations Decolonization Committee did..., for the first time ever.., UNANIMOUSLY and WITHOUT ANY ABSTENSION..., approved a resolution calling on the UK and Argentina to resume negotiations about the Malvinas/Falklands Issue.... The new development is that TEN (10) of the current 29 members of that Honourable UN Committee are former BRUTISH COLONIES..., including INDIA...,a democracy that represents ~ 18% of the world's total population...”
Aug 07th, 2020 - 11:21 pm +5First time ever???? The C24 Falklands resolution is always adopted by consensus. Why? Because members have to be up-to-date with their fees in order to vote. They rarely, so they avoid having a vote. Nothing new there. Also, having failed to hear any representations this year, the C24 resolution appears weaker than usual. Not that it matters. The tradition is now that the C24, having adopted a Falklands resolution by consensus will NOT recommend it to the Fourth Committee for adoption by the General Assembly. That has been the way of it since the C24 were obliged to list their recommendations in 2004. As a result, there has been no UN Falklands resolution for 32 years.
The link here is to the 2019 C24 Report where, once again, they failed to list their very own Falklands resolution among the recommendations.
Of course, the real question is - Why the pantomime?
https://falklandstimeline.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/a_74_23-en.pdf
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