The Foreign Office has launched a consultation on a new strategy for the Overseas Territories and is inviting views from people of those Territories and the UK on how to implement the goals.
Falklands’ Governor Nigel Haywood said UK relations with Chile go back over 200 years and it was “natural to have a strong relationship with a good neighbour”, reports the latest edition of Penguin News.
The UK has no doubts about Falkland Islands sovereignty: ‘they are British and they are not negotiable’, said on Monday a Foreign Office spokesperson in reply to a Sunday statement from the G77 plus China calling on Argentina and UK to resume sovereignty negotiations over the South Atlantic Islands.
The Falklands Governor praised the Chilean members of the Islands community, described them as well integrated and good workers and said he hoped to further increase and consolidate the good longstanding relations with Chile and its people.
Rockhopper Exploration is in talks with Diamond Offshore about lining up another drilling slot as it spuds a well off the Falkland Islands. Diamond Offshore are the owners of the Ocean Guarding drilling rig contracted by Desire Petroleum and involved in the current hydrocarbons exploration round.
Thoroughly aware of the sheer volume of work involved in politics at the recent Commonwealth Youth Parliament (CYP), Nadia Smith said such a high level career may not be for her just yet, “but there was a strong possibility the Falklands Legislative Assembly may beckon one day.”
HMS Edinburgh following a two-week maintenance stop in Cape Town, South Africa, is again crossing the South Atlantic to the Falkland Islands. This is the third crossing since the Type 42 destroyer left the UK.
“There can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the islanders so wish”, reaffirmed the UK delegation in an official statement in reply to remarks from the President of Argentina before the UN General Assembly.
The UK government regrets that “Argentina is considering withdrawing from yet another agreement with the United Kingdom” said on Thursday a spokesperson for the British embassy in Buenos Aires in reference to Argentina’s statement before the UN to further isolate the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.
If Argentina goes through with its threat to suspend the Falklands/ Chile airlink it will be an, “act of desperation,” said Member of Legislative Assembly Jan Cheek quoted by the Friday edition of the Falklands’ Penguin News.