Argentina Says Wins
Regional Support Over Malvinas (Faulklands)
Issue
BUENOS AIRES - Argentine Foreign Minister
Jorge Taiana said Sunday that his country
has won regional support in a dispute with
Britain over the Malvinas (Faulkland)
Islands.
Taiana said his country now has the support
of 33 foreign ministers attending a Rio
Group and Caribbean Community meeting in
Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Argentina is against Britain's planned oil
drilling operations in the potentially
oil-rich seabed around the Malvinas Islands,
known in Britain as the Falklands.
"Argentina is achieving important diplomatic
advances with the 33 foreign ministers of
Latin America and the Caribbean, to
strengthen our position at the Malvinas
issue," Taiana said in a statement.
He hopes a statement will be issued at the
Playa del Carmen meeting in support of
Argentina's position.
He also urged Britain to start negotiations
with Argentina over the sovereignty issue of
the disputed islands.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
asked the British government to return the
islands to Argentina. In his TV and radio
program "Hello, President," Chavez said to
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II: "The Malvinas
are from Argentina, Queen, give a proof that
we are in the 21st century and return them."
He also urged Latin American and Caribbean
countries attending the Rio Group summit to
support Argentina on its demand for the
Malvinas Islands.
Argentina and Britain fought a war over the
control of the south Atlantic islands in
1982 and Argentina was defeated.
Britain in January rejected Argentina's
latest claims of the islands, which it has
held since 1833.
According to Britain's Geological Society,
oil fields around the Falklands could
produce up to 60 billion barrels of oil, as
much as the North Sea crude reserves.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said
Friday he was "confident" that diplomacy
could resolve the standoff. |
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