MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

No response to Argentine “annual ritual”

The elected Legislative Council of the Falkland Islands has said it attaches “no particular significance” to the sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands issued by the Argentine Government last Saturday January 3.

The claim is made every year to coincide with the January 1833 anniversary of what the Argentines describe as the "occupation of the Islands by British forces."

The official statement from the Argentine Foreign Affairs Secretary says: "On January 3 of 1833 British forces occupied the Islas Malvinas dislodging by force Argentine inhabitants and authorities legitimately established in the Islands".

Argentina refers in this last edition of the document to its "permanent and un-renounceable objective, consecrated in the National Constitution, of recovering the full exercise of sovereignty over the territories and maritime spaces of the South Atlantic".

It goes on?"All of this through peaceful means, following International Law" and "respecting the way of life and interests of the inhabitants of the Islas Malvinas".

A Gilbert House spokesperson said on Monday morning that "This is an annual ritual that the Argentines go through to which Councillors pay no particular significance and therefore will not be issuing a response".