Clarification concerning Falklands

I am writing this letter in order to clarify some aspects related to the article entitled "Senkaku/Diaoyu: Another Falklands?" by Gwynne Dyer, published on Feb. 3.

It is worth remembering that since the 16th century, the southern region of the Americas was under the effective control of the Spanish authorities according to several international treaties.

After its independence, the Argentine government succeeded Spain in the exercise of judicial and administrative powers in the Malvinas Islands. In 1829, the Argentine government created the Political and Military Commandancy of the Malvinas. The United Kingdom did not make any claims over the islands.

In 1833, the Royal Navy expelled the Argentine authorities originating a colonial situation that remains to this day. Since then Argentina has incessantly claimed this situation.

In 1965, the General Assembly of the U.N. adopted Resolution 2065 (XX) by which it recognized the existence of a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom as a particular form of colonialism and invited both governments to enter into negotiations in order to find a peaceful solution to the problem. This mandate has been recalled to the present through 40 Resolutions of the General Assembly and the Decolonization Committee of the United Nations, as well as by other multilateral forums.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom continues to perform unilateral activities such as the exploitation of renewable and non-renewable resources and military activities, despite Resolution 31/49 of the General Assembly which urges both parties to refrain from taking decisions that would imply introducing modifications in the situation.Last but not least, I would like to stress that according to U.N. resolutions the islands should be referred to by the name of Malvinas/Falkland Islands.

Augusto Granada

Charge d’affaires, Argentine Embassy in Seoul