Argentina’s
sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands continues to generate
discrepancies among countries of the Americas, as was exposed in the Declaration
of Punta del Este, at the end of the X Conference of Defence Ministers of the
Americas which took place in Uruguay.
Uruguayan
Defence minister Fernandez Huidobro, “it remains a very controversial issue”
“The
Malvinas issue is still very controversial for the Americas” admitted on
Wednesday Uruguay’s Minister of Defence Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro
pro-tempore president and host of the event.
The
Falklands/Malvinas issue and a peace zone in the South Atlantic, despite not
being part of the official agenda of the meeting, was addressed by an ad hoc
committee that held ‘long discussions’ during the four day meeting in an
attempt to bring closer the different positions.
Nevertheless
Argentina managed to include two articles in the final declaration on the
issue, although 15 of the 34 countries from the Americas expressed some “degree
of safeguard or reserve”.
All
members agreed to subscribe Article 19 of the Declaration which points out that
“in the framework of the peaceful character of the Americas continent nations,
they express their willingness to promote peace and cooperation in the South
Atlantic”.
This was
followed by “recognition” of the “importance” of this year’s OAS AG/Dec70
declaration which “decided to continue examining the Malvinas Islands issue
until its definitive solution, underlining that this is an issue of standing
hemispheric interest”.
Regarding
this text Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Ecuador, Guyana, Nicaragua, Peru,
Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela expressed “concern” over the “growing
militarization” of the South Atlantic and exercises which include “firing
missiles” as the ones taking place in the Malvinas Islands.
They
also reiterated their “strong support” for the “legitimate rights” of Argentina
in the sovereignty dispute over the Islands and the surrounding maritime
spaces.
Chile,
Colombia and Mexico coincided in the “support” to Argentine sovereignty claims
over the Malvinas but with no reference to the “militarization of the South
Atlantic” which is attributed to the UK.
The US
pointed out that the Falklands/Malvinas issue does not correspond to the
Defence ministers of the Americas forum, and Canada openly dissented with the
inclusion of the paragraph arguing that it is a “bilateral issue” and
underlined that the “population of the Falkland Islands have the right to
determine their own future”.
The
Declaration of Punta del Este also referred to the member-countries
‘conviction’ that democratic institutions are the “fundamental pillars” to
achieve peace, security, social equality and development in the hemisphere
countries.
They
also pointed out the importance of cooperation in defence and security issues
“to address the new challenges” and their support to measures that strengthen
institutional capacities together with the commitment to update the
inter-American defence system.
The need
to modernize the Inter-American Reciprocal Assistance Treaty, (TIAR) going back
to 1947 as well as the Inter-American Defence Board (JID), were the two issues
of “ongoing strong debate” and with visions “quite distant” according to
sources at the discussions.
In the
final declaration the two visions were reflected in the request to the OAS
Permanent Council ‘to program and advance”, with the participation of Defence
ministries, of meetings “to discuss the future of the mission and functions” of
the Inter-American defence system including the JID.
Ministers
also pledged “to expand the dissemination process” of international
humanitarian Law and human rights through “doctrine, training and education”,
whatever the case, among the Armed and Security forces.
Finally
the delegates of the 28 participants out of 34 country members voted for Peru
to take over the pro tempore presidency of the eleventh defence ministers
conference to be held in that country in 2014.
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