Leaders of several British Overseas Territories meeting in Bermuda released a joint statement following a Pre-Joint Ministerial Council two-day meeting held last week in Hamilton. The goal of the international gathering was to discuss matters of common interest in order to present a unified front next December at the JMC in London.
'Some day' Argentina will recover sovereignty over the Malvinas and in no way will the Falkland Islanders or their culture, traditions or language be discriminated, and furthermore they will be able to elect their members to congress, governor and fully enjoy the benefits of oil production.
”It is dangerous to forget what (Mauricio) Macri said about the Malvinas, that they would represent a deficit for Argentina”, Alicia Castro, Argentine ambassador in the UK was quoted by the Buenos Aires media, following on statements from the Argentine capital's mayor and presidential hopeful in reference to the Falklands Islands.
Three Falkland Islands fishing vessels' owner/operators were ordered by the Supreme Court to pay £200.000 security bonds to return to sea while investigations are ongoing on potential anomalies on their catches and species reports. The value of the vessels range between one and 3.5 million pounds.
Bermuda Premier Michael Dunkley called for the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) to present a united front in key areas and for the leaders to work together to best represent the people of the region. Premier Dunkley opened on Thursday the Pre-Joint ministerial council which convened leaders from several BOTs including the Falklands MLA Roger Edwards, as reported by the island's Royal Gazette.
Argentine diplomats questioned in Montevideo why the United Kingdom is not punished for its denial to comply with the UN General Assembly Resolution from 1965 which calls on Argentina and the UK to sit and dialogue on the Falklands/Malvinas dispute. They also denied any attempts from Argentina to suffocate the Falklands economy or hydrocarbons industry.
The Latin American Integration Association, Aladi, with main offices in Montevideo, will be holding on Thursday an extraordinary meeting on the Falklands/Malvinas Islands question in the framework of the recent Day of Affirmation of Argentine rights over the South Atlantic Islands (June 10), and the fiftieth anniversary of UN Assembly Resolution 2065, which called on Argentina and UK to dialogue and find a solution to the dispute.
The Falkland Islands government reacted strongly to statements by the Argentine official in charge of Malvinas affairs who claimed that the theft of squid and other valuable fish stocks in the South Atlantic, was the reason behind the success of the Islands' economy, according to a report from the Express.co.uk.
Leaders of British Overseas Territories will gather in Bermuda this week ahead of the Joint Ministerial Council. It’s the second time Bermuda has hosted the precursor of the JMC that will be held in London later in the year, reports the Royal Gazette. The Falkland Islands will be represented by Roger Edwards, Member of the Legislative Assembly.
The latest Mercosur summit, held last week in Brazil included a special statement, --besides the main regular declaration with 69 articles--, blasting the UK for violating international law and Argentine domestic law over the exploration of hydrocarbons in the Argentine continental shelf in proximity of the Malvinas Islands.