MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands 'fairly relaxed' with Milei's speech and hoping for a good relation with Argentina, MLA Spinks

We are very, very reassured by the British presence at MPC said Roger Spink MLA

”We are a peaceful people, and I think that in this day and age we need to have a grown up relationship (with Argentina), recognizing there is a difference over sovereignty, but we are neighbors and there are things that would be beneficial to both sides,” said member of the Legislative Assembly Roger Spink in an interview with GB news commenting on president Javier Milei's latest statements on the South Atlantic dispute.

On the 42nd anniversary of the Argentine military invasion of the Falklands which in the official Argentine calendar figures as the Day of the Malvinas Veterans and Fallen in Combat, president Milei reiterated “our unwavering claim over the Islands and I commit that during our government we will have a clear road map so that the Malvinas return to Argentine hands”.

MLA Spinks told GB News that “yes, in the Falklands we are fairly relaxed; in effect the previous Argentine government was very anti Falklands, and the new president is looking for a different way forward which I don't think that means Argentina is dropping its claim, but I think certainly we will see, and we are waiting with interest, how this changes Argentina's stand as regards to the Falklands.”

GB News defines president Milei as an eccentric character, a bit mad, but admits that so far he is also a man who has who has done everything he said he was going to do, and asks if this should be concerning to the Falklands.

MLA Spink explains that, “Well we've seen it for the last 42 years, the temperature goes up and down as regards our relationship with Argentina. We are a very peaceful nation, we like to get on with our neighbors, we have good relationships with Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay. But Argentina just continues to make their unfounded claims on the Falklands and while you look across the world, people are fighting for self determination in Ukraine, for example, Argentina is just like Russia, they try to brainwash their people that there is this spurious claim for the Falklands.”

Furthermore, “Argentina have real economic difficulties, they have inflation around 200%, rampant poverty among their people so a lot of the time Argentine politicians use the Falklands to divert attention from the ills of their own economy and their own mismanagement of their economy. We' re very, very confident in the protection we have from the British forces at MPC and we are also very confident in the support we have from the British government. We recently had a visit by Lord Cameron to the Falklands where he reiterated the support for the people of the Falklands and our wishes to remain British which we expressed in a referendum just over ten years ago, so we are very confident; we also have support across parties in the Houses of Parliament, so we are very relaxed about the attitude of the Argentine government. It is nothing new from our point of view and I think we will wait and see what actions this new president actually does in the future, I think probably his statements were for domestic consumption.”

And given your certainty about an absolutely no claim by Argentina, would this mean you would fight them on the beaches, as it were..., asks GB News

MLA Spink smiles and explains, “well, I think people here are very, very united. Our referendum showed almost 99% wish to remain British and I think although that was ten years ago, there is no reason to doubt if we had a referendum today, the result would be very similar. I don't think people in the Falklands have any doubt about our wish to remain being British and belonging to the British Family.”

GB interviewer insists, Is it worth noting that there is actually I believe a permanent British military presence, and not an insignificant one on the Islands. I mean it wouldn't be that easy for them to take would it?

MLA Spinks replies with a strong No, “and we are very reassured by the British presence at MPC and get regular briefing from the military, and we think the level is more than capable of dealing with any of the existing threats from Argentina.”

GB news makes a hypothetical question, why should I or people in Britain care for the Falklands, since as you know we have a lot of our stuff going on, with taxpayers money being splashed all over the geography. Why should we care whether or not Argentina is in your back garden?

MLA Spink explains that “Falkland Islanders are very proud of being British and belonging to the British family, and we see ourselves as Britain's gateway to Antarctica, so we are more than the Falklands, there is also South Georgia further south, there's the British Antarctic Territories, that means we ourselves are strategically important for Britain, and we don't rely on Britain for any aid to run our own economy other than defense. We are totally self sustaining and we are very proud of being self sustaining.”

Are you not concerned, fearful, in any way about a Labour triumph in the coming British elections...?

“Not at all, we know most of the Labour benches, and they are very supportive of the Islands.”

Finally, a message to the Argentine mad cap president right now...

MLA Spink reiterates, “we are a peaceful people and there are a number of areas such as the exchange of fisheries information, flights, etc. where we can cooperate together peacefully to the benefit of Argentina and the Falklands, the people of the Falklands, and I think in this day and age we need to have a grown up relationship that is actually recognizing there is a difference over sovereignty, but we live, we are neighbors and there are things that would be beneficial to both sides.”