Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told the United Nations on Monday that Gibraltar was ready to work with Spain’s new Socialist government for the mutual benefit of citizens on both sides of the border. This, he underscored, did not deviate from Gibraltar’s cast-iron position on sovereignty and the principle of self-determination.
Mr. Alejandro Betts spoke on 20 June this year at the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation, as a petitioner on the “Falklands (Malvinas) Question.” It has been brought to my attention that his speech included a highly distorted account of my visit to the Islands to observe the referendum on behalf of the South Atlantic Council.
Falkland Islands elected lawmaker Mike Summers will attend next week the Caribbean Regional Seminar of the Special Committee on Decolonization which is to be held in Quito, Ecuador in anticipation of the main C24 annual meeting in New York.
Falkland Islander Krysteen Ormond (23) has completed the Commonwealth Youth Parliament 2012 with her interest in politics augmented and urges other young people to take advantage of the experience if the chance arises.
The British Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council this week agreed a joint statement underscoring a shared commitment to self-determination. The Falklands were represented at the council by lawmakers Jan Cheek and Sharon Halford.
There can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the Islanders so wish was the official reply from the UK to remarks made by Argentine president Cristina Fernandez during her speech on Tuesday before the UN General Assembly.
President Cristina Fernández once again claimed Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas islands and urged the United Kingdom to accept talks and abide by the United Nations resolutions on the matter which has become a “global issue”. The Argentine leader also asked for the demilitarization of the South Atlantic.
President Cristina Fernandez leaves this weekend for New York to attend the UN General Assembly where two of the main issues of the Argentine agenda will be the Malvinas Islands claim and AMIA, the terrorist attack on an Argentine Jewish institution in which allegedly Iran could have been involved.
The Falkland Islands Executive Council has officially approved that a referendum be held on the question of the political status of the Falkland Islands and announced that the Electoral Commission has agreed to assist with developing the form of the question and the wording and give a bespoke advisory service including providing guidance.
Foreign minister Alfredo Moreno ratified Chilean support for Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands during a meeting with a delegation from Andean countries belonging to the “Solidarity Group with Malvinas”.