Argentina announced on Monday it had accepted the request from the European Union for a round of consultations, before the World Trade Organization, on the country’s controversial trade policies, but at the same time rejected all and every one of the questioned points and dragged the Falklands’ dispute into the fray.
Argentina declared on Monday the oil exploration by UK-listed companies in Falkland Islands waters “illegal” and their activities “clandestine”. Argentina has long claimed the Falklands/Malvinas as part of its territory.
As anticipated in the opening speech of the 42 OAS General Assembly hosted by landlocked Bolivia, President Evo Morales put on the discussion table his country’ aspiration for an outlet to the Pacific Ocean linking it to Argentina’s sovereignty dispute with the UK over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.
By Rebecca Kendall (*) - It has been 30 years since the war over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands ended, but the question of sovereignty in the Islands, located 248 miles off the coast of Argentina, is still very much fresh in the minds of those closest to the issue, including Argentina’s Ambassador to the United States Jorge Argüello.
United States will reiterate at the coming OAS General Assembly that the Falklands/Malvinas Islands difference is a bilateral issue to be resolved between Argentina and the UK, which means the US delegation, will not take position in a possible declaration in support of Argentina.
OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza said he expects a consensus is reached on the Falklands/Malvinas issue next week when the Organization of American States general assembly, following the lack of agreement at the last Summit of the Americas in Colombia.
President Cristina Fernandez will be attending next June 14 the UN Decolonization meeting in New York where she is expected to make a strong case for Argentina’s claim over the disputed Falklands/Malvinas Islands.
Ecuadorean Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño called on Wednesday for an end to the remains of colonialism and specifically mentioned the Falklands/Malvinas, Puerto Rico and the US Guantanamo base in Cuba.
OAS secretary general Jose Miguel Insulza believes US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will miss the Organization of American States General Assembly because of “agenda problems” and not over discrepancies on the issues to the addressed.
Bolivian president Evo Morales announced on Monday he will request at the coming Organization of American States, OAS General Assembly to be held in Cochabamba that the issues of Malvinas Argentine sovereignty and a sea outlet for Bolivia be discussed.