OAS calls for “resumption” of dialogue between Argentina and United Kingdom over Malvinas Islands

The General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) has approved this Friday a declaration on the Question of the Malvinas Islands that calls for the “resumption of negotiations” between the Argentine and British states over the sovereignty dispute of the archipelago over which Argentina, it has assured, has “legitimate rights”.

Countries such as Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica or El Salvador have ratified their “firm support” to the Argentine request to reestablish negotiations with the United Kingdom, a “Latin American cause” for an archipelago over which Argentina has “legitimate rights”, as reported by the agency Télam.

“We once again ask the OAS member states to continue to support the call for the resumption of negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom in order to resolve this controversy that affects the entire hemisphere,” said Argentine Deputy Foreign Minister Pablo Tettamanti, asking the members of the organization for their support.

After a joint declaration of the OAS came out, its secretary general, Luis Almagro, has emphasized the support that “historically” the organization has given to the Question of the Malvinas Islands, “occupied” since 1833 by London.

“The inalienable territorial rights of the Argentine Republic over the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands go together with the position of this region; a peaceful and negotiated solution is needed,” Almagro has highlighted during his message, in which he called on OAS members to “support the achievement of this objective.”

He also stressed that “unilateral exploitations or modifications” carried out on “the platform or territorial seas” are “inadmissible”, as reported by the aforementioned agency.

The Secretary of Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for his part, has stressed in a statement that this declaration is a “renewed achievement for Malvinas”.

He also pointed out that the approved declaration “expresses satisfaction for the will of the Argentine government to continue exploring all possible avenues for the peaceful solution of the dispute” and “for its constructive attitude in favor of the inhabitants of the Malvinas Islands.”