MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Negotiations for a Falklands third humanitarian project confirmed by UK ambassador in Argentina

“I would call the humanitarian projects, basically the greatest achievement of our bilateral relation in recent years,” said British ambassador Kirsty Hayes

Kirsty Hayes, British ambassador in Buenos Aires admitted that relations between Argentina and UK have been “complex”, and London has always made efforts to improve them, but ”there will be no sovereignty discussions on Falklands' sovereignty because what is most important is not our (British) perception or that of Argentina but the Falkland Islanders opinion.”

“Yes, we can talk about issues related to our shared interests such as the depredation we both suffer in the South Atlantic fisheries,” Ambassador Hayes told her Argentine interviewer speaking in Spanish, “but the UN chart is very clear, peoples have the right to self determination.”

“We will always have complicated and difficult moments in our relations but that does not mean we can't work constructively,” added ambassador Hayes.

The interview then referred to a third visit of the humanitarian project to identify remains of the fallen Argentine soldiers buried in the Falklands.

”I believe the previous two projects, and a possible third, are most important. I would call it basically the greatest achievement of our bilateral relation in recent years. It is essential for all the families suffering from the conflict. The great majority of fallen combatants have been identified, but there are still a few which were not part of the previous projects. That is why we were in talks with the previous government, but unfortunately the former foreign minister decided to announce the Argentine government was dropping the Foradori-Duncan joint communiqué (signed in 2016 under the administration of president Macri), in the penultimate day of negotiations which ruined expectations for a favorable conclusion“

And have negotiations resumed?

”Well, we have to work on that and we've had several conversations, both here with the Argentine foreign ministry as with the Falkland Islanders, because the Islanders always participate in these projects. We expect to resume negotiations at the appropriate moment“.

Finally ambassador Hayes, who has only one year left before returning to UK said she would like to have ”a more ample, wider relation with Argentina, with much to advance in bilateral trade, but also Argentina has much to contribute to the international community, for example in the Ukraine conflict, in human rights issues...”