Falklands : Director General Defence & Intelligence Visits the Falklands
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 29.06.2010 (Article Archived on 13.07.2010)
Robert Hannigan, Director General Defence & Intelligence for HMG has paid a flying visit to the Falklands. He arrived on Thursday, 24 June and left on Saturday, 26 June 2010 in order to carry out a familiarisation visit.
Photo (c) J. Brock (FINN)
DIRECTOR GENERAL DEFENCE & INTELLIGENCE VISITS FALKLANDS
By J. Brock (FINN)
Robert Hannigan
Photo (c) J. Brock (FINN)
Robert Hannigan, Director General Defence & Intelligence for HMG has paid a flying visit to the Falklands. He arrived on Thursday, 24 June and left on Saturday, 26 June 2010 in order to carry out a familiarisation visit.
During the visit he received the standard FIG briefing and met with Members of Legislative Assembly. He also toured various Government Departments as well as meeting members of the Chamber of Commerce. On the day he left a tour of Mount Pleasant Complex was organised.
On Friday, 25 June 2010 he met with the media and said that he was pleased to be in the Falklands howbeit for a very short time between air-bridge flights.
His message is that the new coalition Government in the UK is committed to the Falkland Islands’ right to self determination.
“The British Government’s stance on the sovereignty of the Falklands has not changed,” said Mr Hannigan.
He went on to say he was keen to set a new direction for UK Foreign Policy and cultivate better relationships with other countries.
Mentioning that while a strategic defence and strategic review would take place, he said that the defence of the Falklands would not suffer.
“The Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary have made it absolutely clear that the Defence of the Falklands is non-negotiable. It is a given,” he said. Mr Hannigan went on to say that this doesn’t mean there won’t be efficiencies that will be looked at over time but the short answer is there is no plan to reduce the defence of the Falklands.
Also on his ‘must send’ list is a message to everyone that HMG views the Argentine Government’s Decree No 256 as illegal.
He continued, “A very robust message was sent to the Argentine Government emphasising that it was illegal. That is a clear message and I think no more needs to be said.”
He also confirmed to FINN that the United States would remain neutral regarding any sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands.
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