The British Government’s, “pride and thanks,” was expressed at Sir Rex Hunt’s memorial service in London last Tuesday. Sir Rex Hunt was Governor of the Falkland Islands when the Argentine military invasion on 2 April 1982. After the conflict Sir Rex who the Argentines expelled from the Islands returned to this job at Government House in Stanley.
A delegation of Argentine lawmakers headed by the presidents of the foreign affairs committees from the Senate, Daniel Filmus and Lower House, Guillermo Carmona are currently in Dublin where they will discuss with their peers and Irish authorities Argentina’s position in the Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty dispute.
The Treasury of the Falklands Islands Government has issued a new coin whose main focus is that of the March referendum when the population was asked about the status of the Islands and overwhelmingly voted to remain as a British Overseas Territory.
The turnout was 92% and 99% of ballots confirmed British Territory status.
Falkland Islands Holdings' shares rose on Monday after it posted an increase in underlying pre-tax profits and looked forward to 'an exciting future'. FIH reported underlying pre-tax profits of £3.29m for the year to the end of March - 1.9% up on last time.
Argentina reaffirmed on Monday its “inalienable right” over the Malvinas and other South Atlantic Islands, and its “strong will to promptly restart negotiations with the United Kingdom” over the what it considers to be an “unacceptable and anachronic colonial situation”. Argentina also complains about the March referendum held in the Falklands last March.
To mark the anniversary of the liberation of the Falkland Islands from Argentine occupation in 1982, the elected government of the Islands has arranged the following program for Friday 14 June 2013.
Lawmaker Jaime Trobo invited his peers in the Lower House to review the Uruguayan government’s position regarding the Malvinas Islands and without questioning Argentine sovereignty, establish close trade and human links with the Islanders, as in the past, eliminating the ‘sanitary ring’ imposed by the current Argentine government.
For the first time the Falkland Islands have underlined the significance of the hydrocarbons industry as a fully integrated sector of the local economy as it effectively and successfully moves from the exploration to the exploitation stage with first shipments scheduled for 2017. At the same time it regrets that South American companies are not participating of the logistical opportunities because of Argentine interference.
Argentine tourists have staged a British invasion, with record numbers flying in to the UK in the last year, according to an article by Matt Chorley published in the Daily Mail. The influx of more than 100.000 visitors, up more than a quarter year-on-year, comes despite renewed tensions between the two countries over the status of the Falkland Islands.
The Specialist Oil & Gas Advisor for the Falkland Islands Government (FIG), Anne Drinkwater has stated that the Falkland Islands are an attractive location for the oil and gas industry and has praised FIG five year plan which sets the desired economic and social context for development generally.