Panama City, February 13 (RHC)-- The XXXVI Ordinary Assembly of the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO), which meets in Panama City, supported on Saturday the legitimate right of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, as well as surrounding seas, territories usurped by the United Kingdom.

In a statement, PARLATINO expressed the region's interest in both countries resuming negotiations to find a peaceful and definitive solution to the dispute as soon as possible.  

PARLATINO, which previously supported Argentina in 2009 and 2013, rejected any unilateral action to be taken in this geographical area, which would violate Resolution 31/49 of the United Nations General Assembly.   It was recalled that this resolution urges the parties to refrain from introducing modifications and includes, among other things, the exploration and exploitation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources of the Argentine Republic, as well as the conduct of military exercises.

The PARLATINO forum also hosted the seminar "Cuestión Malvinas, una causa latinoamericana," during which it was stated that Buenos Aires has repeatedly urged London to resume talks on this issue, but without positive gestures from the British side.

The highest point of the dispute occurred in 1982, when both countries engaged in a military confrontation that left 650 combatants dead on the Argentinean side and 255 on the British side.  Four decades have passed since those events took place and there is still no resolution in sight.

From the XXXVI General Assembly it also transpired that this Saturday began the mandate of the new PARLATINO authorities for the period 2022-2024, headed by Argentinean Senator Silvia Giacoppo, who replaces Chilean legislator Jorge Pizarro.

Giacoppo announced that her administration will prioritize attention to migration and promote the economic and social recovery of the 23 member countries, after almost two years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, whose effects and exit strategy were discussed during the plenary sessions.

The new board of directors is also composed of Congressman Rolando González Patricio (Cuba, alternate president), Juan Martín Rodríguez (Uruguay, secretary general), Dina Maribel Farinango (Ecuador, alternate secretary general), Ricardo Velásquez Meza (Mexico, secretary of Commissions), Leandro Ávila (Panama, alternate secretary of Commissions, Shirley Joanna Rivera (Guatemala, secretary of Inter-Parliamentary Relations) and Daniella Ribeiro (Brazil, secretary of Inter-Institutional Relations).