Foreign Minister Felipe Solá headed the event commemorating the Day of Affirmation of Argentina’s Rights Over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas, and stated that “the Argentine Government reaffirms that the Question of the Malvinas is a foreign policy priority for Argentina, as reflected in the constitutional mandate”. A photography exhibition entitled “Architecture and Planning in Malvinas 1764-1833“ was held following the event.
The Minister recalled that “from the beginning of its independence process in 1810, Argentina—having inherited the Spanish territories in the South Atlantic—continuously exercised its rights over the southern archipelagos located there,” adding that “the Argentine Government continuously expresses its willingness to resume negotiations and calls on the United Kingdom to heed the mandate of the United Nations General Assembly in this regard.”
“The Foreign Ministry, in line with President Alberto Fernández’ decisions, promotes a comprehensive strategy to reinforce the quest for international support in order to resume sovereignty dialogue and condemn British unilateral acts, particularly with regard to the unjustified military presence and the exploration and exploitation of Argentine renewable natural resources in the disputed area,” Solá stated.
The Secretary for the Malvinas Islands, Antarctica and the South Atlantic, Daniel Filmus, in turn stated that “on the 192nd anniversary of the creation of the Political and Military Commandancy for the Malvinas Islands, our government is firmly committed to continue working in order to develop State policies aimed at recovering sovereignty exercise over our Islands and to promote economic development based on the integration of the territory and resources that belong to us in the South Atlantic,” stressing that “Argentina’s sovereignty rights over the Islands still have the same legitimacy, strength and consensus among the countries of Latin America and the world.”
“After 188 years of usurpation, the United Kingdom still has the same interests it had when it invaded the Islands: taking away our resources, controlling the bi-oceanic passage and our Antarctic Sector, and consolidating a military base, which is an armed threat to the entire region,” Filmus stated.
For the Foreign Ministry, the event was attended by the Chief of the Private Office, Guillermo Justo Chaves; the Deputy Foreign Minister, Pablo Tettamanti; the Secretary for International Economic Relations, Jorge Neme; the Secretary for Worship, Guillermo Oliveri; the Secretary for Coordination and Foreign Planning, Martín Yañez; and the President of the White Helmets Commission, Marina Cardelli.
The event was also attended by the Argentine Senator, Jorge Taiana; the Director of the Organization of Ibero-American States in Argentina, Luis Maria Scasso; architect Ramón Gutiérrez; the Ambassadors of Bolivia, Ramiro Tapia Sainz; Cuba, Pedro Pablo Prada; El Salvador, Eduardo Cardoza; Perú, Peter Camino; and representatives of the Embassies of Paraguay, Mexico, Chile and Brazil, as well as the Argentine Representative, Juan Carlos Selva, officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology, and members of the Library of the Argentine Congress.
The photography exhibition “Architecture and Planning in the Malvinas Islands 1764-1833” was organized by the Foreign Ministry together with the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) and the Latin American Architecture Documentation Center (CEDODAL), and it is presented with a publication made thanks to the contribution of the Library of the Argentine Congress. The exhibition consists of fifteen panels that propose a historical-photographic tour commemorating the first time the Argentine flag was flown in the Malvinas Islands, on 6 November 1820.
