A charter flight was due in this Wednesday the 10th to carry out a passenger exchange with the Clipper Adventurer. Unfortunately, the Argentine government has not authorised the flight of this particular charter over Argentine territory. The consequence of that is that the Clipper Adventurer will not be able to make its passenger exchange here in the Falklands.
Obviously I very much regret that but in the meantime, another charter flight is due in here on Sunday the 7th for a passenger exchange. I understand that charter flight has been authorised and will be going ahead.
We are in close contact with our embassy in Buenos Aires, with the Argentine government about this whole subject. I know it is a subject of great concern to many people here in the Falkland Islands and understandably so.
You will, I am sure, understand why I wouldn’t want to go into the details about those contacts at the moment but I hope we will be able to come to an arrangement which will bring us back to the situation where we were before where charter flights for the rest of this season will be authorised by the Argentine government.
I would also just like to add that I have been in very close contact with Councillors throughout on this whole subject and that also the parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Foreign Office, Bill Rammell, who was visiting the Falklands at the end of last week was also able to have a very full discussion with the Councillors on the subject. Both Councillors and Mr. Rammel thought it was extremely helpful.
The final point I would want to make is that the weekly LanChile flight continues to operate. There is no question mark over that flight. It’s the subject of an agreement completed in 1999 and that has never come into issue.
Obviously, as soon as there are further developments, which I can report, I will be very happy to let you know. But I also ought to say that it’s clear that any new arrangements which may emerge from these discussions with the Argentine government will require the agreement of the Falkland Islanders. There is no question of any agreement being reached or arrangements being concluded against the wishes or which do not have the consent of Falkland Islanders. And, Bill Rammell himself was able to make that absolutely clear when he was here. That point has been made very clear to the Argentine government.
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