The Argentine Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it is determined to regain the Falkland Islands through negotiations with Great Britain, the Argentine news agency Telam reported.

In a statement released to mark the 165th anniversary of the British occupation of the islands on Saturday, the ministry noted Argentina's "unwavering determination to recover the exercise of its sovereignty over those territories and its ocean spaces through diplomatic negotiations." It also said Buenos Aires recalled the constitutional commitment to respecting the way of life of the islanders and proposed reestablishing communication and cooperation between the mainland and the islands to create better mutual understanding.

Argentina was ready to continue dialogue with the United Kingdom to strengthen mutual trust and consolidate a climate of cooperation, the statement said.

Argentine Foreign Minister Guido Di Tella said in a separate statement that bilateral relations were excellent, but that President Carlos Menem's trip to London this year would not be an appropriate occasion to discuss the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, the agency reported.

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©