David Cameron To Visit Falkland Islands As Argentina Renews Its Sovereignty Claim
Date
2/18/2024 8:18:04 AM
(MENAFN- AzerNews) UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit the Falkland
Islands this week to show they are a“valued part of the British
family,” the UK government said Sunday. Britain's top diplomat is
making the trip amid renewed calls by Argentina for negotiations
over the contested South Atlantic archipelago, Azernews reports,
citing the Associated Press.
The Foreign Office said Cameron will meet Falklands government
officials, pay his respects to war dead and visit some of the
islands' 3,500 people and 1 million penguins.
He's the first British Cabinet Minister since 2016 to visit the
Falklands, over which Britain and Argentina fought a brief war in
1982.
Argentina's recently elected new president, Javier Milei, has
called for the islands – known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina
-- to be handed over to Buenos Aires. Argentina has long claimed
sovereignty over the islands, which lie about 300 miles (480
kilometers) from South America and 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers)
from Britain.
Argentina argues that the islands were illegally taken from it
in 1833. Britain, which says its territorial claim dates to 1765,
sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who
had sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.
Argentina invaded the islands in 1982, triggering a two-month
war, won by Britain, that killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British
servicemen and three islanders.
Islanders voted overwhelmingly in a 2013 referendum to remain a
British Overseas Territory.
“The Falkland Islands are a valued part of the British family,
and we are clear that as long as they want to remain part of the
family, the issue of sovereignty will not be up for discussion,”
Cameron said.
Cameron also plans to visit Paraguay this week – the first
British foreign secretary to do so -- and to attend a Group of 20
foreign ministers' meeting in Brazil on Wednesday, before traveling
to the United Nations in New York to mark the second anniversary of
Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
MENAFN18022024000195011045ID1107867101
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.