MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands not mentioned during phone call between Milei and Cameron

Cameron told Milei he was acquainted with Mick Jagger

Argentina's President-elect Javier Milei held a telephone conversation Wednesday with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, during which topics such as former Conservative Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, and the Rolling Stones were reviewed with not a word on the Falklands/Malvinas issue, it was reported.

Milei has repeatedly admitted he admired the political leadership of Churchill and Thatcher, which drew much criticism from Economy Minister Sergio Massa, whom he defeated nonetheless at last Sunday's runoff. Although the new Argentine government to start Dec. 10 will not give up on the historic claim on the Falkland Islands, it will be adopting a different approach whereby the rights of the Islanders must be respected.

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The future president has also said he envisioned a plan for the UK to hand over the Falklands in a similar way to Hong Kong, which was returned to China in 1997. The British reject any discussion. “That issue is closed and was resolved a long time ago,” said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday.

“I spoke to the president-elect of Argentina, Javier Milei, to congratulate him on his election victory and to wish him good luck as he prepares to take office. There is much that the UK and Argentina can achieve by working together,” said Cameron, a former Conservative Prime Minister himself.

Sources quoted by AP said the president-elect told Cameron about his Rolling Stones fanaticism, to which the British official replied that he was personally acquainted with Mick Jagger.

In other phone conversations Wednesday, Milei spoke with US President Joseph Biden, who told him he would not be attending the Dec. 10 inauguration in Buenos Aires. They also discussed Argentina's potential in energy and food production and the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas for the release of hostages and a ceasefire.

“Milei and Biden were also talking about what Argentina can produce from energy and food. That we can contribute to the world's food security. And then the usual things that one wishes fervently, that each country can prosper as quickly as possible,” Milei's future Foreign Minister Diana Mondino explained.

Mondino also said Milei spoke with Ukraine's President Volodimir Zelensky, with whom he would have sealed an agreement to materialize next year a Latin America-Ukraine summit to be led by Argentina. “They are organizing a peace summit in Latin America and Ukraine, and we offered to host it if that would be appropriate,” Mondino commented.

“Thanks to each of the world leaders who contacted me to congratulate our team and express their good wishes for the future of Argentina,” said the president-elect on social networks.

Over the past few days, Milei has talked with Pope Francis, Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General Luis Almagro; Ecuador's President-elect Daniel Noboa, and Presidents Emmanuel Macron (France), Gabriel Boric (Chile), Katalin Novak (Hungary); Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador), Luis Lacalle Pou (Uruguay), Nayib Bukele (El Salvador), Nito Cortizo (Panama), Dina Boluarte Zegarra (Peru), Vahagn Khachaturyan (Armenia), Rodrigo Chaves (Costa Rica), Isaac Herzog (Israel), and Santiago Peña (Paraguay).

He also held conversations with Prime Ministers Narendra Modi (India) and Giorgia Meloni (Italy).