450. Telegram From the Embassy in Argentina to the Department of State1
6299. Subject: Falklands/Malvinas—Argentina’s Next Moves.
1. Confidential–Entire text.
2. On August 8 I raised with Foreign Minister Caputo Argentina’s current position on the Falklands/Malvinas, particularly as it would arise in the UNGA. I pointed out to Caputo that an Argentine resolution that was tougher than last year’s would make it harder to obtain support and probably would also affect chances for early future talks with the U.K. Caputo said he could assure me that this year’s resolution would be much more “to the point” and have fewer adjectives. I asked him what adjectives were being dropped. He said “colonialist” was one of them.
3. Caputo told me Argentina’s goal on the Malvinas is to “disactivate” the conflict with the U.K. and return to the situation that existed before the Malvinas war. Argentina wants to “reinitiate” the decisions taken in mid-1977, specifically those set forth in the joint Argentine/U.K. communique issued June 8, 1977. In that statement Argentina and the U.K. agreed to continue negotiations concerning future political relationships—including sovereignty with regard to the Falklands/Malvinas, the South Georgias and the South Sandwich Islands—and economic cooperation with respect to those territories in particular and the Southwest Atlantic in general. These, Caputo told me, were Argentina’s goals. He asked that we treat them on a confidential basis. He agreed that an extreme Argentine position on the Falklands/Malvinas would be inadvisable, but that the U.K. also had to show flexibility.
- Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D840509–0428. Confidential. Sent for information to London and USUN.↩