COSTA RICA: Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Marcos Timerman heads to Costa Rica to drum up support for the South American country's territorial claims over the hotly-disputed Falkland Islands

Record ID: 446863

  • Title: COSTA RICA: Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Marcos Timerman heads to Costa Rica to drum up support for the South American country's territorial claims over the hotly-disputed Falkland Islands
  • Date: 20th January 2012
  • Summary: SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (JANUARY 19, 2012) (REUTERS) FOREIGN RELATIONS HEADQUARTERS ARGENTINEAN FLAG WAVING ON POLE ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER HECTOR MARCOS TIMERMAN BEING WELCOMED BY COSTA RICA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE ORGANISATION OF AMERICAN STATES ENRIQUE CASTILLO PHOTOGRAPHER TIMERMAN AND CASTILLO POSING FOR MEDIA MORE OF PHOTOGRAPHER VARIOUS OF CASTILLO AND TIMERMAN DURING MEETING VARIOUS OF ARGENTINE AND COSTA RICAN OFFICIALS DURING MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER, HECTOR MARCOS TIMERMAN SAYING: "That is one of the topics that we talked about today, the need for reform. The United Nations cannot issue 11 resolutions in the General Assembly and then 29 resolutions of the subcommittee against colonisation that Great Britain does not recognise. The United Nations can only be effective if all member commit to resolutions, not just those countries that are small or those that are not so powerful." GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINE FOREIGN MINISTER, HECTOR MARCOS TIMERMAN SAYING: "All UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) nations, particularly those of UNASUR have decided that those boats with an illegal flag are an occupying force in the Falkland Islands and they cannot be used to enter any port of the countries of UNASUR." TIMERMAN AND CASTILLO LEAVING MEETING
  • Embargoed: 4th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Costa Rica, Costa Rica
  • Country: Costa Rica
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2JQVGMWM59RJPN9XRMFH7AF64
  • Story Text: The war of words continued to escalate between Argentina and Britain on Thursday (January 19, 2012) as Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Marcos Timerman flew into Costa Rica to secure regional diplomatic backing for the South American nation's sovereignty claims over the Falkland Islands.
    Earlier this week, British Prime Minister David Cameron set off a political storm in the Latin American country by affirming his commitment to protect the archipelago from Argentina.
    Looking to extend political support for its cause with the Organisation of American States (OAS), Timerman met with Costa Rica's representative to the regional body, Enrique Castillo.
    "That is one of the topics that we talked about today, the need for reform. The United Nations cannot issue 11 resolutions in the General Assembly and then 29 resolutions of the subcommittee against colonisation that Great Britain does not recognise. The United Nations can only be effective if all member commit to resolutions, not just those countries that are small or those that are not so powerful," said Timerman.
    In December, the South American trading bloc Mercosur and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) agreed that vessels sailing under a Falklands Islands flag would be banned from docking at any of its ports as an act of solidarity with Argentina.
    "All UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) nations, particularly those of UNASUR have decided that those boats with an illegal flag are an occupying force in the Falkland Islands and they cannot be used to enter any port of the countries of UNASUR," added Timerman.
    London has controlled the islands, about 480 km (300 miles) off the Argentine coast, since 1833. Its two-month war with Argentina in 1982 resulted in the deaths of 255 British and about 650 Argentine soldiers.
    Tensions have risen in recent years over offshore oil exploration, and have gained steam ahead of the April anniversary of the conflict as well as the planned tour of duty on the islands by Britain's Prince William, an RAF helicopter pilot, later this year.
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