Argentina (Hansard, 27 October 1998)

§ 14. Mr. Michael J. Foster (Worcester)
What plans he has to meet the President of Argentina to discuss UK-Argentine relations. [54298]

§ The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Robin Cook)
The President of Argentina arrives on an official visit today. He will hold talks with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and me. He will address the City of London and the Confederation of British Industry, and lay a wreath in commemoration of those who fell in the Falklands war. This is the first visit to Britain by the President of Argentina since it became a modern democracy, and a welcome demonstration of the growing strength of relations between our two countries.

§ Mr. Foster
Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is time to rebuild Britain's relationship with the new Government of Argentina? Will the Government use President Menem's visit to take forward our growing ties in trade and industry for the benefit of both our nations?

§ Mr. Cook
I assure my hon. Friend that we expect this visit to provide a further boost to the excellent commercial relationships that Britain and Argentina enjoy. President Menem will bring with him 100 leading Argentine business men and the contact with the CBI and the City will, I am sure, deepen those commercial ties.
It is also appropriate that we should recall that President Menem played no part in the Government of Argentina with whom we were at war two decades ago. At the time, he was in prison, where he was held for five years and tortured under that same regime. The fact that he is the President of Argentina shows how far it has come.

§ Mr. John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood)
In welcoming President Menem, personifying as he does the process of reconciliation and compassion in his country, will the right hon. Gentleman take heed of President Menem's wise counsel with regard to relations between both Argentina and the United Kingdom and Argentina and its neighbouring states? Therefore, could the right hon. Gentleman do nothing that will prejudice democracy within a state neighbouring Argentina, which had a very tense relationship with that country?

§ Mr. Cook
If I were to pursue the line of thinking in the hon. Gentleman's question, President Menem might justifiably be rather confused as to which country I thought he came from. First, however, I entirely endorse the hon. Gentleman's welcome for the reconciliation, which has been welcomed by most of the veterans of the Falklands war; secondly, of course, we will do nothing to undermine democracy in either Argentina or Chile; nor will we do anything to undermine the rule of law in Britain.

§ Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North)
Will my right hon. Friend tell President Menem of this country's undoubted good will towards Argentina now that it is a democracy, but make it clear that he should understand that it is important to allow the due process of law to take place regarding General Pinochet? That very process of law, I am glad to say, is being carried out in Argentina.
151 There should be an understanding that there can be no amnesty and no safe haven for mass murderers such as Pinochet.

Hon. Members
What about China?

§ Madam Speaker
Order. The question is about Argentina. I shall have something to say on these matters a little later. Does the Foreign Secretary want to make any response?

§ Mr. Cook
indicated dissent.

§ Madam Speaker
I thought not.

§ Mr. Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon)
The Foreign Secretary will be aware of the close links between Wales and Patagonia—links that came under considerable strain during the Falklands war—and that there is a well of good will in Argentina towards the United Kingdom and a desire to forge much closer relationships. Does he agree that the best safeguard for the Falklands is for such links to blossom and grow constructively?

§ Mr. Cook
I am well aware of those links. It is worth recalling that we have a deep and wide relationship with Argentina. For instance, British service men are currently working alongside Argentine service men to maintain the peace on the green line in Cyprus. If our service men can achieve that partnership, our politicians should seek to do so too. I fully agree that a healthy understanding between our two countries must be good for the Falkland Islanders in the long run.