Thursday 21 March 2013

Argentine president defends AMIA Memorandum with Iran




The president of Argentina Cristina Fernandez has inaugurated the 131st period of sessions of the National Congress with the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Iran. The agreement was turned into law this week by the Lower House.

Ratifying her commitment with the truth over the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires back in 1994, Head of State Fernandez defended the bilateral agreement. She then blasted complicity of pro-Israeli organizations in the case.

Her statements come as the heads of the Argentine Mutual Association AMIA warned they will take their claims against the M-O-U to the Supreme Court.

Center-left Cristina Fernandez also responded to the criticism by opposition parties that accused her administration of seeking trade prospects with Iran through the AMIA deal and undermining Argentina´s sovereignty.

Over the past years, the AMIA investigation has been spotted by local cover-up operations leading to the prosecution of former judge of the case Juan Jose Galeano and former president of Argentina and current senator Carlos Menem, among other defendants.

Many say the M-O-U indeed sets up a Truth Commission to probe the tragic attack and paves the way for Argentine judicial officials to investigate five Iranian officials allegedly involved in the incident.

In that sense, ruling party lawmakers have supported Buenos Aires-Tehran move as they believe it would allow to unblock a case that has been brought to a standstill.

Iran has strongly denied any involvement in the bombing of the AMIA building that claimed the lives of 85 people 19 years ago.

Another high-profile issue of Argentina´s foreign agenda that President Fernandez addressed at the National Congress was the long-standing dispute with the UK over the Malvinas Islands. Ms. Fernandez urged London to resume sovereignty negotiations and affirmed that “diplomacy is the only way to defend peace”

 http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/02/291530/argentine-president-defends-amia-memorandum-with-iran/

No comments: