MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK confirms: “no Falklands' sovereignty talks”

United Kingdom will not negotiate the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands “unless and until the Islanders wish us to do so” said Tuesday a British Embassy source in Buenos Aires.

"This is matter of principle" for the British government and "no pressure is going to modify that position", added the source.

The statement follows on strong remarks from different Argentine political actors, the latest of which the president of the Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee, Jorge Argüello who said "Argentina was determined to put an end to this colonial situation".

"We fully support peoples' right to self determination as enshrined in the United Nations charter. To force this group of people to change their government against their will would be morally unacceptable", said the British Embassy source.

Earlier this week The Times from London quoted a Foreign Office source confirming the determination of UK Falklands' policy but with a conciliatory approach, "we are awaiting Argentine proposals on a number of areas to improve things. We believe the way forward is to make bilateral agreements work to the benefit of all, including Argentina".

Regarding the reference to "pressures", British Embassy sources mentioned the banning two years ago of charter flights to the Falklands from Chile; the cooling of discussions in the framework of the South Atlantic Fisheries Committee which have become "a mere formality" and several Congressional initiatives to sanction fishing companies operating with licences from both governments (Falklands and Argentina).

Deputy Argüello underlined that "Argentina will act with renewed energy in the diplomatic field, to achieve its objective", adding that the principle of self determination does not apply to Malvinas, since the original Argentine government of the Islands "was forcibly ousted" by the British.

"There are 16 remaining colonial situations in the world acknowledged by the United Nations and Malvinas is one of them and this can't be ignored", highlighted Argüello.

He also described the awarding of long term (up to 25 years) fishing licences by the government of the Falkland Islands, which becomes effective next July first, as "illegitimate".

The Times published that the more aggressive Argentine stance regarding the Falkland Islands claim could be tracked to President Nestor Kirchner's campaigning for his reelection bid in 2007.