US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said yesterday the United States stood ready to help Argentina and Britain resolve new tensions over the disputed Falkland Islands, which sparked a war between the two countries in 1982.
"It is our position that this is a matter to be resolved between the United Kingdom and Argentina. If we can be of any help in facilitating such an effort, we stand ready to do so," Ms Clinton said in Montevideo, where she attended the inauguration of Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, before travelling to Buenos Aires.
Argentina has objected to a British company's oil exploration off the Falklands, known in Spanish as Las Malvinas, but Britain has rejected the complaint.
Mrs Clinton's offer of help came on the first full day of a Latin America tour that will take her to quake-hit Chile and regional heavyweight Brazil along with Costa Rica and Guatemala.
Mrs Clinton said she did not see the United States in a mediating role, but rather as simply encouraging dialogue. "We're not interested in and have no real role in determining what they decide between the two of them. But we want them talking and we want them trying to resolve the outstanding issues between them," she said. "We recognise that there are contentious matters that have to be resolved and we hope that they will do so."
At a news conference in Buenos Aires, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez said she would welcome mediation from the United States as a country friendly to both states. She said all that her country was asking was for talks. "I don't think that's too much," Ms Fernandez said.
Mrs Clinton repeated that the United States just wanted to get the two countries talking: "We want very much to encourage both countries to sit down. We cannot make either one do so."
Argentina, which has claimed the South Atlantic islands since Britain established its rule in the 19th century, invaded them in 1982. After a two-month war, it was forced to withdraw, but still claims the archipelago and says oil exploration by Britain's Desire Petroleum is a breach of sovereignty.
Argentina formally objected to the drilling and said it would require all ships from the Falklands to obtain permits to dock in Argentina.
The "Rio Group" of Latin American leaders, meeting last month in Mexico, issued a statement supporting Argentina's demands to halt drilling around the Falklands, and Ms Fernandez has said Latin American nations back Argentina in the dispute.
Reuters