Security Council hears Argentinian complaint against United Kingdom, takes no action.

`Dangerous situation' considered Security Council hears Argentinian complaint against United Kingdom, takes noaction

The Security Council on 17 March considered a complaint by Argentina about "the situation created in the South Atlantic by the United Kingdom Government's decision to conduct military manoeuvres in the Falklands Islands (Malvinas) from 7 to 31 March". Thirty speakers participated in the debate. The Council adjourned without a draft resolution having been tabled.

Dante Caputo, Minister for External Relations and Worship of Argentina, told the Council a "dangerous situation" had been created in the South Atlantic by the United Kingdom's decision to make a "display of strength" there at a time when indirect contacts were under way to create machinery to avoid military incidents there. The situation gave rise to tension and insecurity, and pose a threat to international peace.

Since the restoration of democracy in the country in 1983, Argentina had displayed every evidence of its determination to seek a negotiated solution to its dispute with the United Kingdom over the Malvinas, Mr. Caputo said. The British decision disregarded negotiations as a basis for the settlement of disputes, and was intended to consolidate colonial domination of the Malvinas. The British manoeuvres expressed the United Kingdom's determination not to negotiate with Argentina and not to settle the grave dispute with Argentina peacefully, he maintained.

Sir Crispin Tickell of the United Kingdom maintained the British exercise of reinforcing the purely defensive garrison on Falkland Islands--involving only a small number of aircraft and fewer than 1,000 men--threatened no one. The United Kingdom acknowledged and reciprocated Argentina's commitment to resolving differences between the two countries by peaceful means, he said.

So long as the Argentine claim to the Falklands stood regardless of the wishes of the islanders, Sir Tickell went on, the United Kingdom "must retain the capability of dealing with the unexpected". It was determined to uphold the right of the Falklanders to choose by whom they wished to be governed. The United Kingdom was working to establish a more normal relationship with Argentina, and was not opposed to lowering tension in the South Atlantic. However, what the Argentines wanted was not negotiations but talks about a date to hand over the Falklands to them, he said.