January 29, 2019

Arab News

Argentina has conferred an honor on Dr. Haitham K. Bouzo, chairman of the Saudi Support Group, in recognition of his efforts and support to Argentina on the issue of the Malvinas Islands (Falkland Islands).

Argentine Ambassador Marcelo Gilardoni awarded the “Orden de Mayo al Merito en el Grado de Gran Oficial” to Bouzo, who has been promoting the cause of the Malvinas Islands and supporting the Argentine position on the issue. The award was given during a ceremony at the ambassador’s house in Riyadh on Monday.

“I am happy to confer this award on Bouzo, who chairs the Saudi Support Group on the Malvinas Islands,” Gilardoni said. “The Kingdom and Argentina have forged closer relations in different sectors, and the two countries have had identical views on a host of bilateral, regional and international issues.” 

Bouzo, who is also the chairman of Management and Development Company, said: “We work closely with Argentina with an aim to boost closer relations and ensure mutual benefit. There should be peace, understanding and brotherhood.”

The Malvinas Islands is a priority issue of Argentine foreign policy, reflected in a constitutional mandate and expressed as a state policy that binds all Argentine people, the Argentine Embassy said in a statement. 

“Since the islands were seized by force by the British in 1833, expulsing the legitimate Argentine authorities and populating the islands with its own colonizers, Argentina has claimed to recover its full sovereignty over these territories, in accordance with international law and respecting the way of life of the people of the Malvinas Islands. It is the conviction of the Argentine government that the matter can only be solved peacefully by bilateral negotiations with the government of the UK,” the statement said.

The Argentine government is urging the UK to resume negotiations that will allow finding a peaceful and definitive solution to the controversy.