HC Deb 23 October 1968 vol 770 cc316-7W
Mr. Clark Hutchison

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the reply the British representative made to the speech of the Argentine Foreign Minister in the United Nations General Assembly on 16th October regarding sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

Mr. Whitlock

Yes. On 16th October the Deputy Permanent United Kingdom Representative at the United Nations sent a letter to the Secretary-General formally reserving the British position. This letter has been distributed to all delegations as a General Assembly document; its text is as follows: "I have the honour to refer to the statement of His Excellency, the distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Argentine Republic, at the 1697th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly, on 16th October. 1968, in which reference was made to the Falkland Islands.

As the distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Argentine Republic stated, the Argentine and United Kingdom Governments are at present engaged in talks on this subject. These talks are being held in accordance with Resolution 2065 (XX) of the General Assembly and the two Governments hope to report further on them in the course of the present twenty-third session of the General Assembly.

I am, however, obliged to state that the United Kingdom Government does not accept the statement of the distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Argentine in so far as it disputes the sovereignty of the United Kingdom Government over the Falkland Islands. The United Kingdom Government has no doubt as to its sovereignty over the territory of the Falkland Islands, and I wish formally to reserve the rights of the United Kingdom Government on this question.

I should be grateful if this letter could be circulated as a General Assembly document".