MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina's cancellation of Córdoba-Mt. Pleasant route made official

Argentina's Foreign Ministry said the decision was taken due to the UK's reluctance to discuss other flights... and sovereignty

The Argentine Government's decision to strike the authorization once granted to LATAM Brasil to serve Mount Pleasant in the Malvinas/Falkland Islands from Córdoba has been made official since it was published Tuesday in the Official Gazette.

Argentina's Foreign Ministry argued that such a decision had been taken “after presenting the United Kingdom with numerous initiatives to achieve greater connectivity between the Argentine mainland and the Malvinas Islands.”

“However, the British Government has prevented any real and concrete progress in the sense of allowing a direct flight from our continental territory to the islands,” it added.

The Foreign Ministry's note recalled that in 2018 it was provided that the flight would be subject to review and that “annual discussions on air services would be held including the discussion of options for greater connectivity between the Argentine mainland and the Malvinas Islands.”

The air service from São Paulo was operational since November 2019 until it was unilaterally suspended by the United Kingdom in March 2020 due to sanitary restrictions, when the flight from Punta Arenas, Chile, was also suspended.

The Argentine Foreign Ministry recalled as of October 2020 the Argentine government proposed to hold bilateral meetings to discuss that issue but to no avail.

“In December 2021 the Argentine Government, for the purpose of alleviating the situation of disconnection of the Malvinas Islands, made a proposal to the United Kingdom for two humanitarian flights with a flag carrier from the Argentine mainland. The United Kingdom rejected such a proposal. In view of this scenario and after intense negotiations carried out by the Argentine government, the regular flight from Punta Arenas to the Falkland Islands, with a monthly stopover in Rio Gallegos, was re-established in July 2022.

In its communiqué, the Foreign Ministry stated that ”in April 2022 a note was sent to the United Kingdom highlighting the numerous attempts by the Argentine Government to reach an understanding that would include a regular direct flight from the Argentine mainland and in view of the British reluctance, the decision was communicated to discontinue the mentioned regular service until the United Kingdom agrees to consider the referred regular direct flight.“

”Notwithstanding the above, the Argentine Government has maintained its interest in following the discussions on air services. In this context, it proposed to hold a new meeting to continue discussions on the matter. Finally, a meeting was agreed during the month of November 2022, which due to internal problems in the United Kingdom was postponed at their request,“ the Argentine authorities also explained.

Then ”it was agreed to hold a meeting during the third week of January. However, in the context provoked by the United Kingdom's incorporation of Kosovar 'security forces' to the existing military endowments in the Malvinas Islands, in frank contravention of the resolutions of the General Assembly regarding the Question of the Malvinas Islands, the Argentine Government considered it convenient to postpone the meeting.“

”The Argentine Government reiterates its willingness to resume negotiations on sovereignty and to address a comprehensive agenda of issues including greater connectivity between the Malvinas Islands and the rest of the Argentine territory,” the note concluded.

 

 Read also: Falkland Islands responds to Argentina’s decision to end the “Foradori-Duncan Pact”