The Joint Communiqué of 13 September 2016, issued on the occasion of the visit of the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sir Alan Duncan, to Argentina, reflects both parties' intent to start a new, positive stage in their historic and rich bilateral relationship.
The document shows that both countries seek to renew the relationship in all fields and covers a broad range of areas, including high-level political consultations; cooperation in the fields of science and technology, human rights, refugees and gender issues; the strengthening of mutually beneficial trade and investment ties in both directions; cooperation at multilateral fora, such as the G20—which Argentina will chair in 2018; the strengthening of ties in the fields of arts, culture, education and sports; joint work in the fight against drug trafficking, corruption, terrorism and organized crime, and cooperation in the fields of international security, defence and non-proliferation. The document also provides for a comprehensive analysis of the relationship that covers the bilateral agenda with a constructive approach, including the Question of the Malvinas Islands.
The communiqué reflects the political intent to re-establish a dialogue on all matters relating to the South Atlantic, without exclusions, under the sovereignty umbrella formula agreed in 1989, which preserves Argentina’s rights over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands in accordance with the relevant provision of the Argentine Constitution.
The political intent of both parties will be essential to make progress in each of the fields established in the communiqué through negotiations and agreements.
The intent of both parties to remove obstacles in areas such as fishing and hydrocarbons in the South Atlantic will create new opportunities for cooperation and rational use of the natural resources on the islands, and lead to the cease of unilateral actions that obstruct the new atmosphere that they seek to create. We trust that this will make it possible, in due course, to establish a dialogue between the two parties to resolve the sovereignty dispute, in accordance with the existing provisions of the United Nations and other international fora.
The establishment of more air links pursuant to the 1999 Agreement on Communications is another positive aspect that will promote closer ties between the inhabitants of the Malvinas Islands and mainland Argentina. The specific details on the flights set out in the communiqué will be defined at further conversations between the parties, which may in turn lead to further, broader agreements to promote mutual ties.
The delegations of both countries will also hold conversations in Geneva in order to agree on procedures for the International Red Cross to conduct a humanitarian mission to identify the bodies of unknown Argentine soldiers buried in the Darwin cemetery, with the support of both parties. This activity is of the utmost importance for the Argentine Government due to its high humanitarian content.
Press release No. 307/16.
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