MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina: Malvinas claim recognizes Islanders “interests” and a “mature relation” with Britain
Argentine Foreign minister Diana Mondino, “bilateral negotiations taking into account the interests of the inhabitants of the Islands” The third of January has been an iconic date for Argentina's claim over the Falkland Islands, since on that day but in 1833, the “United Kingdom forcibly occupied the Malvinas Islands over which ”a recently independent Argentine Nation was exercising sovereignty, given her condition of heir to such possessions of Spain in South America.”
That is the heading of the 2024 official release, a ritual in the Argentine Malvinas calendar, but this time under a new administration and foreign minister Diana Mondino there have been some significant changes compared to the previous backlashes from former governments.
In effect the release recognizes or announces that bilateral negotiations, “taking into account the interests of the Islanders” is a factor in the equation. Likewise, it reiterates the willingness of Argentina for the immediate resumption of negotiations on the Falklands sovereignty, “wishing to maintain a mature relation with the United Kingdom, contemplating a substantial and constructive dialogue on all those issues of common interest looking to create a confidence climate propitious for the resumption of negotiations”.
A difference from previous releases when Falkland Islanders were not even recognized as a people, and Britain was described as an usurper'. Follows the Argentine foreign ministry release.
“On 3 January 1833, the United Kingdom occupied by force the Malvinas Islands, a territory over which from the first moments as an independent nation, Argentina had exercised its sovereignty rights, taking into account its condition of heir of these possessions from Spain in South America. The action of the British government was an act of force in times of peace, contrary to International Law and never consented by the Argentine government, which immediately presented its protests.
Since then, all Argentine governments have reaffirmed its legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the adjoining maritime spaces. The National Constitution establishes that the recovery of the effective exercise of our sovereignty over those territories, in conform with International Law and respecting the way of life of its inhabitants, constitutes a standing and unrenounceable objective of the Argentine people.
The General Assembly of the United Nations had characterized the Malvinas Islands Question as a special and particular colonial situation which involves the sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom that must be solved by the governments of both countries through bilateral negotiations taking into account the interests of the inhabitants of the Islands. Likewise it has called on the parties involved to abstain from developing unilateral actions in the disputes area, among others.
The Argentine government once again expresses its willingness to resume bilateral negotiations which enables a solution to this sovereignty dispute, following on the pertinent resolutions from the General Assembly.
In this framework the Argentine government wishes to maintain a mature relation with the UK, which contemplates a substantial and constructive dialogue over issues of common interest looking to generate a confidence climate for the resumption of negotiations.
Numerous international and regional forae have pronounced in favor of Argentine sovereignty rights and the resumption of bilateral negotiations, such as the UN General Assembly Special Decolonization Committee, the Organization of American States, the Group of 77 plus China, Mercosur, the Iberian-American Summit, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and the South Atlantic Zone of Peace and Cooperation, among others.
Convinced that the only possible course for the recovery of the exercise of its rights is the diplomatic path, Argentina reiterates its interest in the Good Offices mission commended by the General Assembly to the UN Secretary General, with the objective of helping the parties to resume negotiations with the purpose of finding as soon as possible, a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute regarding the question of the Malvinas Islands.
The Argentine Government and People reaffirm once again, when the 191 years or the illegitimate occupation of the Malvinas Islands, its legitimate and imprescriptible rights over the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime spaces.”
Buenos Aires, 3rd January 2024.
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Read all commentsMalvinas,
Jan 04th, 2024 - 02:28 pm +4What claim are you talking about?
When an old Pope decided he had the divine right in 1492 to divide up all the as yet still undiscovered world- after Colombus found North America -
and IF any land was ever found in the various geographical regions it would become Spain,s or Portugal,s?
Remember only Spain and Portugal ever agreed to that old parchment- no other nation accepted it.- so from the British side it was irrelevant.
Then we move into the late 1760s when rather than have a war- Spain agreed to the British re-establishing them shelves on the Islands- and it was only then- after the first earlier British and earlier French settlement attempt - that the Spanish acutually came down here then selves.
So when your war of independence got underway- where did the small Spanish militray garrison at Port Louis leave and move to?
Not Buenos Aires- but to Montevideo - so if ANY South American Country wants to try and claim to have inherited the Islands from Spain
Then it is Uruguay who maybe could try and make that claim.
You really are all muddled and confused - but in the modern era the real world goes by the UN Charter- which even Argentina signed- and that clearly states that the people of a place(country) have the right to choose their own political future of their own free will.
Our choice- not some Foreign Minister who knows little announcing she will take our“ interests” into account- who decides someone else,s interests eh?
There is a big difference between “interests” and wishes- one is totally democratic and the former is dictatorial and coloniailistic- but them that is what we expect from Argentina
That statement is not worth the paper it is printed on. Full of mythical ideals and errors.
Jan 04th, 2024 - 03:57 pm +4The Falkland Islanders do not want or need future negotiations over their territory. A territory that has been owned by Britain since before Spain or even France set foot on the territory.
How convenient to deliberately not include that part of the ownership.
An account of the last expedition to Port Egmont In the Falkland Islands in the year 1772” by Bernard Penrose (Surgeons Mate)
'Be it known to all nations, that Falkland's Island, with this fort, the storehouses, wharfs, harbours, bays, and creeks there unto belonging, are the sole right and property of His most Sacred Majesty George the Third, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. In witness whereof this plate is set up, and his Britannic Majesty's colours left flying as a mark of possession by S. W. Clayton, commanding officer at Falkland's Island, A.D. 1774.' So even with or without the French settlement on East Falklands Britain never gave up their claim. Spain never actually owned any part of the islands but assumed they had received them from France who in fact did not own them but simply established a settlement on East Falklands to attempt their authority over them. Britain and France almost went to war because of that. Argentina was not even born then. The Spanish having invaded South America were still running their ill-gotten gains.
Any way we the islanders have made it abundantly clear where we stand, and any negotiations will not change our status. Argentina can attempt to negotiate or make a claim, but it will never succeed against the constitutional rights of the inhabitants of these islands.
The ICJ will no doubt come to the same conclusions if it were ever approached.
It is worth noting that Argentina cannot apply the UPJ inheritance rule to the Falklands.
Jan 04th, 2024 - 04:22 pm +4Argentina did not inherit the Falkland Islands from Spain (1 pg): https://www.academia.edu/44496176/Argentina_did_not_inherit_the_Falkland_Islands_from_Spain
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