Malcorra: “Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union is a shock”

Argentine Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra stated today that “Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union is a shock”, and she added that “we are deeply concerned about this matter. It is the decision of the British people so it must not be challenged, but we see it as a very strong signal.”

“The world is going through difficult times, characterized by fear and isolation. We see this in Europe and in the signals coming from the United States, with a general xenophobic trend that fuels phobias of all kinds. We are deeply concerned about this scenario,” expressed Malcorra in one of her usual press conferences at the Palacio San Martín.

When asked about Brexit, she said that “we have gone through similar situations that led to very negative outcomes. We hope this will not be the case now and that, as human beings, we will learn to cope with these fears in a manner that will not lead to confrontation.” She also made reference to the impact that Brexit may have on the future of the region: “The impact of Britain’s withdrawal remains to be seen, we are not very clear about it yet. With regard to the relationship between the EU and Mercosur, I am certain that progress will be made and good results will be achieved. Although I cannot assess exactly what the impact will be, I think there will be consequences. It may be a wake-up call for a more integrated Europe and, if this is so, it may be a good opportunity.”

With respect to the impact this might have on the Question of the Malvinas Islands, Malcorra explained: “We have been rethinking our relations with the UK since before it voted to leave the EU. We expect to continue working on this at the bilateral level. The Committee on Decolonization addressed this issue yesterday, and we have received the support of all countries, for which we are thankful. The Resolution proposed by Chile was adopted by acclamation and with no objections. Once more, we have reaffirmed our position before the United Nations, and I believe this is very important for the continuity of the issue.”

The Foreign Minister also referred to the agreement reached by the Colombian Government and the FARC: “The step taken in Havana yesterday has been tremendously significant. No peace agreement has been signed yet, so work still remains to be done. But the ceasefire and the surrender of weapons by the FARC have been highly significant. We hope that the definitive agreement will bring peace to the Colombian people, which is something essential for us.”

“We support this process. We will be part of the monitoring mission of the UN. We are working on a cooperation plan to contribute to the reinsertion of the FARC in the post-conflict process,” she concluded.

Press Release No. 197/16

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