A delegation from the Falkland Islands attended on Tuesday 10 Downing Street where Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed leaders from ten British Overseas Territories Street for the start of their annual Joint Ministerial Council meeting. The Falklands' were represented by lawmakers MLA Teslyn Barkman, MLA Roger Edwards and Sukey Cameron OBE, Falklands government representative in London.
Following a full day of activities in London in the framework of the annual British Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council meeting, the Falklands delegation said talks were very high level, and a wonderful opportunity to put forward the Islands concerns, such as Brexit, and listen to the issues faced by the other British Overseas Territories.
Leaders from eleven British Overseas Territories, BTO, including the Falkland Islands will be meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday as part of the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Committee, which begins in London, according to a release from 10 Downing Street.
The British Overseas Territory, BOT, St Helena Government and Airlink have announced that the sale of tickets for flights to St Helena Island will commence early in September 2017.Airlink will operate a weekly service between St Helena and Johannesburg and St Helena and Cape Town (via the stopover at Windhoek International Airport in Namibia).
Argentine Senate president Federico Pinedo called on the British government ”to sit down and discuss all issues (of the bilateral agenda) including the Malvinas dispute”, and should also make a greater effort in improving its relations with Latin America, according to a statement from DYN news agency.
Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated the UK Government’s strong and wholehearted support for the Falkland Islands right to self-determination and underlined UK is seeking a more productive relation with Argentina but cautioned that the full potential of the relationship depends on Buenos Aires meeting the public commitments of the September 2016 joint communiqué.
An influential Tory MP has said that increased devolution powers to the Home countries has made lack of Westminster representation for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories a great unfairness, and it is time to end the outdated system of treating them like Colonies.
UK Minister for Exiting the EU Robin Walker and Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad met on Wednesday with Overseas Territory leaders and representatives (including the Falkland Islands) to discuss Brexit issues.
The House of Lords EU Committee will next week take evidence from representatives of eight of the British Overseas Territories as its scrutiny of the impact of Brexit continues. Among the territories taking part in the session and giving evidence to the committee will be Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat and St Helena.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry has strongly suggested that the Labour manifesto, to be launched on 15 May, will make clear that the disputed Falkland Islands will remain British for as long as those living there want to be, according to Politics Home