
The Falkland Islands Government, FIG, and Falkland Islanders have welcomed the announcement of a new £20m landmine clearance commitment by the UK which will make safe dozens of areas which have been unusable for residents and visitors. The project financed by the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defense will clear 46 minefields over the next two years and prepare for clearance another 27. So far more than 30 minefields have been cleared in the Falklands in recent years and this is in line with the UK obligations under the Ottawa Treaty.

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) has welcomed the agreement made between the Argentine and United Kingdom Governments, laid out under this morning’s joint statement. Speaking to the media, Members of the Falkland’s Legislative Assembly stated they “looked forward to a better relationship with Argentina”, especially in the areas of hydrocarbons, fisheries, shipping and tourism.

The World Shearing Championships Committee finds another gear as the World Event quickly approaches. Being held in Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand from the 9th to the 11th February in the ILT Stadium Southland, not only is the committee excited about hosting this event but Southland and New Zealand is getting behind a first in the South Island and only 5th time being held in New Zealand over a 40 year period (1980, 1988, 1996, 2012 – Masterton)

The chapter on the South Atlantic establishes that the 1989 formula on sovereignty of the Falklands will not be affected and that the appropriate measures will be taken to remove all obstacles limiting the economic growth and sustainable development of the Islands

The Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sir Alan Duncan, visited Argentina on 12 and 13 September. The principal reason for the visit was to enhance bilateral consultations with the Argentine Foreign Ministry and attend the Business and Investment Forum organised by the Argentine Government.

The British Government and the Government of Argentina have agreed to an improved relationship through closer co-operation on areas of mutual interest, including on trade, security and the South Atlantic. A UK-Argentine joint statement has been agreed and released on Tuesday 13 September, following a series of high level meetings in Buenos Aires with Sir Alan Duncan - the first Foreign Office Minister to visit Argentina since 2009.

Argentine president Mauricio Macri described as a “gesture” the attendance of Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan at the Business and Investment forum in Buenos Aires, and anticipated that UK and Argentina are preparing a bilateral meeting next week in New York on the sidelines of the annual UN general assembly to address all issues including Falklands/Malvinas.

UK Foreign Office minister of state for the Americas and the Falkland Islands, Sir Alan Duncan begins this Monday a full agenda of activities in Buenos Aires with the purpose of promoting business, investments and normalizing bilateral relations, after more than a decade of distant when not frozen links under the Kirchner couple administrations. The Falkland Islands issue is also expected to be addressed but with a constructive spirit.

The Falkland Islands Government has acknowledged it is aware of media coverage of Argentine foreign minister Susana Malcorra referred to proposals of possible air links between the Islands and Argentina as well as talks on other areas of interest such as the fishing and hydrocarbons industries.

The Guardian's diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour caught up with Argentine foreign minister Susana Malcorra in London and interviewed her on UK-Argentina relations and the Falklands/Malvinas dispute. Ms Malcorra said Argentina wants to end the era of confrontation over the South Atlantic islands.