Today, Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie headed the Argentine delegation which participated in the session of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization in New York that addressed the Question of the Malvinas Islands. At the meeting, a new resolution urging Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume bilateral negotiations so as to resolve the sovereignty dispute over the Malvinas Islands was approved by consensus.
Faurie was joined by Argentine senators Federico Pinedo, Julio Cobos and Rodolfo Urtubey; the Governor of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands Province, Roxana Bertone, and the Argentine representative to the UN, Martín García Moritán, among other officials.
In his first intervention at the Committee, the Foreign Minister underscored that the "Question of the Malvinas Islands is a major historical issue for all Argentines," and stated that "this is recognized in the First Transitory Clause of the Argentine Constitution." "Malvinas is an issue that goes beyond governments and political and partisan differences: it is a true State policy," he explained.
In his address, the head of the Palacio San Martín noted that the passage of time "has neither undermined the validity of our rights nor weakened our conviction that this sovereignty dispute should be resolved through negotiations between both sides." He also renewed the Argentine Government's "full willingness" to resume negotiations.
In addition, he urged the United Kingdom to "end unilateral acts of exploration and exploitation of natural resources in the area under dispute", in accordance with United Nations resolutions, and renewed his plea to "strengthen the South Atlantic as a peace zone."
The Foreign Minister reiterated President Macri's desire to "begin a new stage in our relations with the United Kingdom, based on the bonds that have historically united the two countries."
"This new framework has enabled a series of advances in trade, investment, science and technology, education and culture, security, and human rights," stated Faurie, highlighting the agreement reached between Argentina, the United Kingdom and the International Committee of the Red Cross for the identification of unknown Argentine soldiers buried at the Darwin cemetery in the Malvinas Islands.
Finally, the Foreign Minister thanked the Committee members for their support for the adoption by consensus of a new resolution that "renews the historical call" issued by the United Nations to "resume negotiations and find a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute as soon as possible."
Press release No. 255/17
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