MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“No changes without the agreement of Islanders”.

Sir Robin Christopher admits to have been impressed by the sense of identity of the Islanders and promises to work to help build trust between Argentina and Falklands.

"Islanders are gradually accepting the fact they are neighbours of Argentina, but there will be no changes in the current situation without the agreement of Islanders", said Sir Robin Christopher, Britain's new Ambassador in Argentina recently arrived in Buenos Aires.

In an interview with La Nación, Sir Christopher who admitted to having requested the job in Buenos Aires and his first decision was to travel to the Falklands last October, indicated he was impressed by the sense of identity of the Islanders, "in fact when I arrived in the Islands I expected to find a remote and parochial community, but it certainly was not".

La Nación points out that Sir Christopher during the whole interview talked about the "Islands" and never mentioned the word Falklands nor Malvinas.

Sir Christopher said that there's still mistrust in the Falklands towards Argentina, but it's mellowing, and underlined that "we are facing a political fact", and the best way to help the situation, both for Argentina and the United Kingdom, is to concentrate in "building trust on both sides" and work on a "positive agenda".

Further on Sir Christopher said that he understood Argentina's current administration policy of not wanting relations with the Islanders, "but this does not mean there can't have non official contacts".

He mentioned as a possibility of further contacts increasing the number of flights to the Islands, but "I still haven't spoken yet of any particular issue with President De la Rúa, and I have a letter from Prime Minister Tony Blair giving his full support to the current Argentine administration".

Sir Christopher also mentioned the fact that a general election will be held in the Islands next November and said that previously one of the requisites for the candidates to Council was not to have had contacts with Argentina,"I wish, as a minor target, that the chance is that manifestos this time have nothing to do with the situation".

The new British Ambassador is married to a former The Economist journalist Merrill Stevenson and have two daughters. He also confessed to have cheered for the Pumas (Argentina's national rugby team) when they played England in London and having made it a rule for the last three mo