Sir, Celia Szusterman presents a confused and partial analysis of the situation over oil exploration in Falklands waters (“Future of Falklands”, letter, Feb 23). First, it was the Falkland Islands government (which Argentina consistently refuses to recognise) that granted the exploration licences. We are fully entitled to do this in our own territorial waters. This right was recognised by Argentina and the UK in the 1995 Joint Declaration over Oil.
The declaration stated the full claim by each side to the territory involved and was to allow Falklands oil exploration to go ahead in Falklands waters as defined by the fishing zones — effectively with the agreement of the Argentine Government and without interference or government involvement by it. The first round of exploration duly went ahead in 1998 on these terms. The agreement also designated an area straddling the border of the Falklands’ designated area as a special co-operation area to be exploited jointly.
A further licensing round in the Falklands took place in 2001 and ended in 2005; again within the terms of the 1995 agreement. So there is no question of a “unilateral decision to grant exploration rights”, as Dr Szusterman implies.
It was not until March 2007 (not 2005), that the Argentine Government unilaterally repudiated the 1995 agreement. To use Dr Szusterman’s words, “it signalled that co-operation over oil, fisheries, conservation and other matters should be steps in a path that must lead to talks on sovereignty.”
People may be forgiven for thinking that this announcement, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Argentine invasion and when the licensed companies had already invested two years’ work, was carefully planned to disrupt the exploration process and “revive the old cause”.
Argentina is attempting to achieve by economic sanctions what it failed to achieve by military means. It has withdrawn co-operation on fishing conservation and environmental protection. It has threatened sanctions against companies holding licences to fish in Falklands waters and tried to exclude Falklands Islands representatives from participating at international fish conservation conferences. Now it is attempting to disrupt oil exploration.
On one point I agree with Dr Szusterman’s analysis. It is time that Argentina recognised the islanders and their democratically elected government. We are no longer a British colony but a self-governing overseas territory with full rights of self-determination. We have chosen to remain British citizens.
We have no desire to be colonised by Argentina, which refuses to recognise our Government or our right to determine our own future, but simply wants to seize our homeland, where we have lived for nearly 180 years. We will not be bullied into submission.
Sukey Cameron
Representative
Falkland Islands Government
London SW1
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Jan D wrote:
Peter Cressall wrote:
That is a rather petty comment. While you may cite the 2003 Iraq war the situation in the Falklands is completely different. Given it is a legal entity in it's own right and clearly recognised as a self-governing protectorate of the UK. There is no way you can label it as stealing given the prior agreements at SHARING discoveries and exploration between the UK-Falklands Govt and Argentina that was torn up in 2007 by Argentina! What would be better to say is that the Argentine govt are attempting to STEAL what is not rightfully theirs and actually the property of the Falkland Islands Govt (F-I Govt). The UK has not formally claimed the oil reserves as they are property of the F-I Govt. The UK should support the F-I govt against a blatant attempt by Argentina to steal what is not rightfully theirs as laid down by international law. The reason the UN and even US are not enthusiastically pursuing this issue is that even Latin American diplomats agree that is a PR stunt by Kirchener and that Argentina after tearing up the 2007 agreement on sharing oil, gas, fisheries etc has no real legal basis on which to claim sovereignty over the oil or islands which when asked about their identity always reply 100% British!
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