Britain sends warning to Argentina over Falkland Islands - 'Not up for discussion'

Britain sends warning to Argentina over Falkland Islands - 'Not up for discussion'

Falklands War veteran Simon Weston spoke on the Argentinian claim over the Falkland Islands

GB News
Dimitris Kouimtsidis

By Dimitris Kouimtsidis


Published: 18/02/2024

- 15:14

David Cameron will visit the Falkland Islands next week in a display of strength towards the Argentinians

Britain is set to send a strong warning to Argentina over the Falkland Islands, making it clear that the issue is "not up for discussion".

David Cameron will visit the islands next week, in a show of strength, designed to show that British sovereignty is not negotiable and that the islands are a "valued part of the British family".


The Foreign Secretary will be the first cabinet minister to visit the archipelago since 2016.

This is on the back of James Cleverly's promise to visit the islands last year, with Lord Cameron following up on his predecessor's promise.

David Cameron meeting with Nato troops

David Cameron is keen to show that the issue of British sovereignty is 'not up for discussion'

PA

During the visit, Lord Cameron is expected to pay his respects to the British troops who fought in the Falklands War in 1982, as well as the current military personnel stationed on the islands.

He will also visit environmental projects and see some of the penguins that depend on the vital island habitats.

The Foreign Secretary said: "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.

“The Falkland Islanders should be proud of the modern, prosperous community they have built.

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The Falkland Islands

This will be the first visit of a British cabinet minister to the Falkland Islands

PA

"The Islands are a thriving economy, where as well as farming and fishing, there is a priority given to conservation and sustainability.”

Last month Lord Cameron met with newly-elected Argentinian President, Javier Milei, at the Davos Forum in Switzerland.

During the meeting, the two men said they would "agree to disagree" over the future of the islands, which the Argentinians refer to as Islas Malvinas.

Milei insisted that his country's sovereignty over the Falklands was "non-negotiable" and has pledged to force the UK Government to relinquish its sovereignty through "diplomatic channels".

Downing Street insists the issue of sovereignty is "settled".

In 2013 a referendum on the Falklands took place, in which 99.8 per cent of residents voted to retain their status as a UK overseas territory.

After his visit to the Falklands, Lord Cameron will travel to Paraguay, which will make him the first Foreign Secretary to visit the South American country.

He will then attend a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Brazil, before going to the UN in New York for the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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