My delegation joins in the welcome extended to the new Foreign Minister, who is also the Minister of Trade and Worship of the Republic of Argentina...

I greet also the Councillors from the Falklands/Malvinas who have been with us before.

Mr. Chairman,

This is the thirteenth annual meeting of the C-24, dealing with the question of the Falklands/Malvinas, that I am attending, and instead of self-determination, the question of sovereignty continues to dominate the debate. Sovereignty over the Falklands/Malvinas seems to be the stumbling block, the Gordian knot, and not self-determination, which the people of the Falklands/Malvinas have every right to promote.

However, my delegation advises that the UK and Argentina continue to concentrate on the things that can unite, such as communication technology, conservation and development of fish stocks, delimitation of the continental shelf, prospecting etc., in the hope that what seems impossible now, will eventually be resolved to the benefit of the islanders.

Mr. Chairman,

I am reminded of an oxymoron (figure of speech), which says, “The difficult things you do now, the impossible will come later.”

Finally, Mr. Chairman, in this intractable annual ritual, the Swahili proverb comes to mind, “you cannot change the direction of the wind, so turn the sails.”

We must bring some fresh thinking to this thorny issue.