MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina reaffirms sovereignty rights over Falklands

Argentina reaffirmed Wednesday its “imprescriptible sovereignty rights” over the Malvinas/Falkland Islands and questioned the United Kingdom's reluctance to address the issue.

The official announcement through an Argentine Foreign Affairs Ministry release was done in the framework of the "174th anniversary of the illegitimate occupation of the Islands by British forces". The release makes the "imprescriptible sovereignty rights" extensive to the Sandwich and South Georgia islands and surrounding maritime spaces. Further on the release mentions the "permanent and unwavering objective, enshrined in the Constitution, to recover the full sovereignty exercise over these territories, following international law principles and respecting the way of life and interests of the inhabitants of the Malvinas Islands". "This permanent objective is state policy and responds to a collective desire from the Argentine people" adds the release emphasizing Argentina's "permanent willingness to the immediate resumption of negotiations". The release recalls that for decades both the United Nations and the Organization of America States have called on Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume bilateral negotiations with the purpose of finding in the shortest time possible a "fair, peaceful and long lasting" solution to the dispute. With this purpose in mind Argentina concerted with the United Kingdom "bilateral understandings" of that nature under the sovereignty safeguard formula. However "British reluctance to address the sovereignty issue continues, and furthermore unilateral British acts have multiplied, which not only do not contribute to bilateral cooperation, but are also contrary to the UN appeal not to adopt unilateral measures". On January 3, 1833, according to Argentine history, British forces occupied the Falklands/Malvinas dislodging by force Argentine inhabitants and authorities legitimately established. The 1833 act of force was immediately protested and never consented by the Argentine Republic underlines the release.