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Falklands’ “is not negotiable”; UK calls for talks with Argentina on other issues

Saturday, June 18th 2011 - 08:09 UTC
Full article 126 comments
The Foreign Office reiterated it’s up to the Falklands’ people to determine The Foreign Office reiterated it’s up to the Falklands’ people to determine
Falklands’ sovereignty “is not negotiable. Period”, says British PM Cameron
Falklands’ sovereignty “is not negotiable. Period”, says British PM Cameron

Britain again categorically rejected any Falkland Islands sovereignty negotiations with Argentina and reiterated that London’s position on the issue “has not changed at all”. However “as has been standing policy”, the UK is always ready to discuss issues of common interest in the South Atlantic.

A Foreign Office spokesperson quoted on Friday by the Italian news agency Ansa said sovereignty negotiations will only take place if the people of the Falkland Islands making use of their right to self determination so decide.

The Foreign Office spokesperson statements follow Thursday comments from Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on the campaign trail, who described Britain as “a coarse colonial power in decadence”.

The Argentine president added that the latest statements from British PM Cameron (before Parliament) who said that the Falklands sovereignty is not negotiable are nothing but “mediocre fringing with stupidity”.

However the FCO spokesperson reiterated that “essentially our position remains the same”

“The Prime Minister only reiterated our long standing position that the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands rests on the people’s right to self-determination” said the spokesperson underlining that “as far as the Falklands maintain their interest in remaining as British sovereign territory, they should remain that way”, and there is not much more to say about it.

Only a week ago the elected members of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly made public a release affirming that “the people of the Falkland Islands have a right to self-determination, enshrined in international law” and as such “fully support the UK government’s current resolute position, which confirms that the issue of sovereignty is non-negotiable”.

Nevertheless “the Falklands seek nothing more than neighbourly relations with Argentina”.

The FCO spokesperson recalled that London has also been consistent in welcoming discussions with Argentina referred to issues of common interests in the South Atlantic, such as fisheries, communications, oil, but not sovereignty, “this is up to the people of the Falklands making use of their right to self determination”.

“PM Cameron has not said anything different from what we have consistently said in the past”, added the FCO spokesperson

“Argentina is an important partner of the UK and to a great extent. We have a close and productive relation in many areas of bilateral and multilateral issues, including the global economic situation in the framework of G20, human rights, climate change, international development and fighting against weapons proliferation”.

 

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  • Redhoyt

    “ ... sovereignty negotiations will only take place if the people of the Falkland Islands making use of their right to self determination so decide ...”

    “ ... underlining that “as far as the Falklands maintain their interest in remaining as British sovereign territory, they should remain that way”, and there is not much more to say about it...”

    “ ... “the people of the Falkland Islands have a right to self-determination, enshrined in international law” ...”

    Says it all. Sorted !!

    :-)

    Jun 18th, 2011 - 08:42 am 0
  • lsolde

    Correct, nothing else to say...........

    Jun 18th, 2011 - 08:47 am 0
  • Kiwisarg

    Rotten www.cuestionmalvinas.com.ar/modules.php?

    The Falkland Islands were part of the area under jurisdiction of Spain since the entry into force of the first international instrument to delimit the “New World” soon after its discovery in 1492.Papal Bulls and the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 are the first instruments titles of Spain in accordance with international law at the time.

    Since the early sixteenth century and for much the same, only navigators in the service of Spain traveled shipping lanes along the American coast, advancing southwards in search of an inter-oceanic passage.This breakthrough was the discovery of the Falkland Islands by members of Magellan's expedition in 1520.From that time were recorded on European maps with different names and were within the areas under effective control of the Spanish authorities.

    During the seventeenth century the Malvinas Islands were sighted by navigators from other nations who had ventured into Spanish domains at the risk of provoking reactions and protests from Spain whenever it received news of such expeditions.But the whole southern region of America, its coasts, seas and islands, indisputably remained under Spanish sovereignty over the various treaties signed in the period, as the Treaty “American” of 1670 between Spain and England La Paz Utrecht, signed in 1713, assured the integrity of the possessions of Spain in South America and confirmed its exclusive right of navigation in the South Atlantic.England accepted these clauses as a signatory to the agreements and treaty of Utrecht of the eighteenth century after it ratified.However, by mid-century, the Falklands began to be the interest of Great Britain and France, which were seeking to establish a strategically located across the Strait of Magellan.

    In 1749 Spain received news of a British project to settle the Malvinas Islands and strongly protested to the government of Britain, therefore, decided against it out.On January 31, 1764 came to these Islands

    Jun 18th, 2011 - 09:09 am 0
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