UK Minister for Europe David Lidington has warned that an escalation of tension with Spain in the waters row could damage Gibraltar’s prosperity and wider UK interests and pointed out that the incursions were not “an armed attack or invasion” and that the response to them must be proportionate.
Argentina’s ongoing attempts to strangle the Falkland Islands economy by intimidating cruise vessels from calling at Stanley and other islands has been picked up by the Daily Mail in an article written by Ian Drury.
The Foreign Office said that the UK is striving to ensure that all fishing undertaken in the Southern Ocean is carefully managed and sustainable and that the current FCO focus is supporting international work to establish a network of Southern Ocean Marine Protected Areas.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday that he continues ‘open’ to a meeting with his peer from Argentina, Hector Timerman, although he insisted that if the talks refer to Falklands’ issues, representatives from the Islands should be present.
The Foreign Office has reiterated its concern about the Argentine’s government behaviour towards the Falkland Islanders and considers it ‘right and proper’ that they should be involved in the part of those meetings with Argentina that concern the Islands.
The British government’s decision to deny a meeting between UK and Argentina foreign ministers is proof of “weakness” and evidence of “the internal crisis situation” in the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister David Cameron, said Argentine Foreign minister Hector Timerman.
The last round of the Falklands’ dispute between the UK and Argentina seems to have exposed a new blunder of Minister Hector Timerman, since according to the Foreign Office from the very request last December for a meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague this month in London, the Argentine official was clearly informed that Falklands’ representatives would be present when the particular issue of the Islands was raised.
Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi launched on Monday 10 December, UN Human Rights Day, UK’s campaign for re-election to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) for January 2014-December 2016.
Argentina energetically rejected the UK complaint about alleged intimidation of vessels linked to Falklands/Malvinas activities as well as the awarding of squid licences in waters close to the South Atlantic archipelago.
Britain summoned Argentina's ambassador to London on Monday after masked men ransacked the offices of a shipping company in Buenos Aires, a move the Foreign Office alleged was aimed at deterring ships from visiting the disputed Falkland Islands.