The Falkland Islands government said on Friday that Argentina's latest illegal attempt to undermine the Islands economy is in direct contradiction with its alleged claim that it wants to establish a dialogue and is yet another effort to disrupt the lives of 3.000 people who want to live in peace and with good neighborly relations.
Argentina has threatened oil firms seeking to operate off the Falkland Islands with 15-year jail terms, huge fines and confiscation of assets in a fresh salvo in the dispute with Britain over South Atlantic islands sovereignty. But UK reiterated that Argentine law does not apply to Falklands or British Overseas Territories.
Argentina has begun a determined campaign to deter companies from drilling for oil in disputed waters around the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic. On the eve of a visit by UK parliamentarians to Buenos Aires this week, the Argentine embassy in London warned that legal action was being ramped up against drillers and their suppliers, reports Terry Macalister in The Guardian.
Argentina’s call for dialogue with UK rings hollow, Romford MP Andrew Rosindell argued in a letter published in The Times in which he said that Argentine claims that the UK is increasing its military presence in the Falklands are false. Instead he argued that the presence there is the minimum necessary to defend the Islands.
Argentine ambassador in London Alicia Castro in a letter published in The Times, defended the peaceful call from President Cristina Fernandez to dialogue and negotiations on the Malvinas Islands issue and underlined that the sovereignty claim over the Islands is 'enshrined in the national constitution'.
Argentine ambassador in London Alicia Castro underlined the “very deep friendship and understanding links” that exist between Britain and Argentina and also reiterated the need for dialogue in the Malvinas Islands question. The occasion was the 65 anniversary of the Anglo-Argentine Society which was celebrated at the Argentine embassy in London.
During a debate on the “Malvinas Question”, Argentine ambassador to the United Kingdom Alicia Castro launched a strong attack on Prime Minister David Cameron describing him as “a fool, dumb, and completely useless” politician, because of his comments when the election of Pope Francis.
Argentine ambassador to the United Kingdom Alicia Castro renewed Argentina’s sovereignty claims over the Falkland Islands and put the Edward Snowden spy row on London’s table: “We are free nations that neither need nor want to be spied on,” Castro warned.
An Argentine radical group involved in actions against cruise vessels and maritime traffic with the Falkland Islands has promised a similar campaign against Lan Chile offices in Buenos Aires, the airline which flies the only link of the Islands with the continent.
Argentine ambassador to the UK Alicia Castro has declined the official invitation to attend Margaret Thatcher’s funeral, Downing Street reported. Lady Thatcher was Britain’s PM when the Argentine invasion of the Falklands and she sent a task force to successfully recover them in June 1982 after a 74-day armed conflict.