MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina rejects Falklands’ “illegitimate stand” in Montevideo; British authorities responded

Falklands' delegation at Expo Prado focuses on deepening the commercial and cultural relationship with Uruguay. Photo: MercoPress

Argentina rejected on Saturday the presence of a stand of the “illegitimate government” of the Falkland Islands, for which it maintains a sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom, at the agro-industrial fair Expo Prado, held in Montevideo, according to a statement released by the Argentine Foreign Ministry.

Due to the presence of a “desk” from the Falkland Islands as part of the UK pabillion at the International Livestock Exhibition, the Argentine government “rejected the efforts” of the authorities of the Government of Uruguay and the Rural Association of that country, the statement said.

El gobierno argentino rechaza la presencia de stand del ilegítimo gobierno de las Islas Malvinas en la feria agroindustrial uruguaya https://t.co/4XsvlGQgmx

— Cancillería Argentina (@CancilleriaARG) September 10, 2022

The UK ambassador to Uruguay, Faye O'Connor, told her Argentine counterpart, Alberto Iribarne, about the islanders' new participation in Expo Prado as a way of “courtesy”, given the situation, embassy sources told MercoPress.

“The ambassador maintains a friendly and professional relationship with her Argentine counterpart and they work together on issues on which they agree, as well as on others on which they disagree. They always treat each other with respect, as happens between both governments”, sources from the British diplomatic office indicated MercoPress.

Argentina's reproaches towards Uruguay for the “Expo Prado” fair transcend the political signs of the governments. Since 2015, Argentina's Government has questioned on several occasions the placement of the commercial stand and claimed to the authorities of the fair that this situation should not be repeated in future editions, a claim that finally failed.

The 117th edition of Expo Prado, where technological innovations in the agro-industrial and livestock sectors are exhibited every year, is taking place in Montevideo until September 18.

The Argentine government contacted the Uruguayan authorities to “discourage the participation” of the Government of the Malvinas Islands and “that no official contacts are made with alleged authorities not recognized” by Argentina, the statement said.

On the other hand, the British embassy told MercoPress that Argentina's complaint to the Uruguayan authorities “would not be appropriate since these are not government authorities but representatives of the Chamber of Tourism, which is independent of the government, and of technicians and people privately linked to the tourism and agricultural sectors”.

Argentina “regrets the repeated presence of an island desk at the Expo Prado fair” which serves “the British-Islander purpose of promoting the positioning of the Malvinas Islands internationally as if they were a distinct entity” from the South American country, the statement said.

It added that it also serves to pass off as “normal” the “illegitimate occupation in the South Atlantic”, which has been protested by all Argentine governments since 1833.

In 1982, Argentina and the United Kingdom clashed in a war over the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands which ended with the Argentine surrender and a death toll of 649 Argentines, 255 British and 3 islanders.

Activities carried out by kelpers visiting Uruguay

According to a press release issued by the UK representation in Uruguay, the “Falkland Islands are present with a stand at Expo Prado, focused on deepening the commercial and cultural relationship with Uruguay, and publicizing its tourism options, its agricultural sector and its environmental sustainability plans: a key pillar for life in the Islands”.

The letter states that activities will be offered at the site to help in the conservation of the sub-Antarctic climate islands, to carry out trivia games and to participate in raffles. On the other hand, the marketing officer of the Falkland Islands, Rachael Crowie, present in the government delegation visiting our country, told MercoPress that a talk is scheduled for next Thursday, September 15, in which Uruguayans and Kelpers will participate telling their business and travel experiences in the South Atlantic archipelago.