The Israeli-Palestinian issue dominated media coverage of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York last week. But almost completely slipping under the radar was a war of words between London and Buenos Aires over the Falklands sovereignty question. After a good deal of sabre-rattling by Argentine president Cristina Kirchner in the past few months, which included this rant back in June, the UK Mission to the United Nations issued a robust statement underscoring that Britain will not enter into any negotiations over the sovereignty of the islands:
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. The United Kingdom Government attaches great importance to the principle and right of self determination as set out in Article 1.2 of the Charter of the United Nations and Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. That principle underlies our position on the Falkland Islands. There can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the islanders so wish.
The United Kingdom’s relationship with all its overseas territories is a modern one based on partnership, shared values and the right of each territory, including the Falkland Islands, to determine if it wishes to retain a link to the United Kingdom.
There was also direct and strong criticism in the UK statement of Argentina’s increasingly belligerent stance:
The United Kingdom continues to believe that there are many opportunities for co-operation in the South Atlantic. However, in recent years the Republic of Argentina has rejected these opportunities. It withdrew from co-operation on the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission, and in 2007 repudiated the 1995 Joint Declaration on Hydrocarbons. The Republic of Argentina placed a ban on charter flights travelling to the islands in 2003. It has also introduced domestic legislation to restrict shipping to the islands and penalise companies who wish to do business in or with the Falkland Islands.
Most significantly, Britain sent a clear, unequivocal message to Argentina that it is prepared to use military force to defend the Islands once again if they are threatened:
The United Kingdom has maintained an unchanged defensive military posture in the South Atlantic for over 29 years. This includes routine military exercises. The United Kingdom remains fully committed to defending the rights of the people of the Falkland Islands to determine their own political, social and economic future.
The Argentines would be foolish to launch any kind of military provocation, such as an attempt to blockade the islands, but this scenario cannot be ruled out, especially if Buenos Aires receives support from other Latin American countries. Kirchner’s government is close to Hugo Chavez’s unpredictable regime in Venezuela, a rogue state that has significantly increased defence cooperation with Russia and Iran, including the recent purchase of 1,800 antiaircraft missiles from Moscow, and the hosting of an Iranian missile base in Venezuela. Chavez has made clear his violent opposition to the British presence in the Falklands on numerous occasions, and back in 2007 declared that British history was “stained with the blood of South America’s indigenous people”, while calling for revenge over the sinking of the Belgrano during the 1982 Falklands War.
As a former aide to Lady Thatcher I was heartened by the British government’s firm warning to Buenos Aires at a time when Argentina is becoming increasingly aggressive over the Falklands, which echoed the Prime Minister’s statement to the Commons in the summer. Just last week, Kirchner threatened to suspend a 1999 agreement and bar flights between Chile and the Falkands from landing in Argentina, and once again pressed the Falklands sovereignty matter in her speech to the UN. There can be no room for complacency in London as Kirchner seeks re-election in October. Britain should be prepared for a further escalation in tensions over the Islands if her nationalist and populist administration is returned to office in an emboldened position, and must take all necessary steps to reinforce the Falkland’s defences.
telegraph.co.uk