Argentina insists the “Malvinas issue” will be discussed at the Americas summit

Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falklands will be addressed during the Sixth Summit of the Americas this weekend in Colombia, where 33 heads of state and government are scheduled to meet, said Colombian Foreign Affairs minister Maria Angela Holguin.

 “If Cristina wishes to take the discussion to the presidential meeting, it will be considered”

The Colombian official mentioned that the issue has been discussed by the different technical teams and on Thursday will be addressed by Foreign Affairs ministers, when details of the Saturday and Sunday summit will be completed.

“The Malvinas issue is going to be considered. It’s an issue that has been addressed at technical level and most probably the Foreign Affairs ministers will discuss it on Thursday, and if President Cristina Fernandez wishes to take it to the presidential summit, well it will also be considered”, said the Colombian official.

Argentina has made it official policy “to take the Malvinas issue to all international forums and on this occasion it won’t be absent from Cartagena de Indias discussions, particularly on the 30th anniversary of the war”, anticipated Argentine diplomatic sources.

On Tuesday Ms Holguin said that the Malvinas issue will not be included in the Summit’s final declaration, but this will not impede discussions on the issue.

“There is a lack of consensus on the Malvinas issue”, admitted Minister Holguin who added that the summit’s declaration most probably will not have a single reference to controversial issues such as de-penalizing drugs consumption, Cuba or Malvinas.

More specifically on the Falklands/Malvinas issue, Holguin said it was “a bilateral issue” between Argentina and the UK.