The United Kingdom has firmly contradicted the recent remarks by Argentina’s President Javier Milei regarding the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.
President Milei, who assumed office in November, hinted at future diplomatic negotiations over the archipelago, known as Las Malvinas in Argentina, during his conversation with Sky News.
“We talked about the Falklands and it is something for future diplomatic negotiations,” stated Mr. Milei.
However, the UK’s response to President Milei’s comments was clear and resolute. A UK official clarified the nation’s position, emphasizing the unchanged stance of the British government and its unwavering support for the right to self-determination of the Falkland Islanders.
The official stated, “On the Falkland Islands, the foreign secretary and President Milei said they would agree to disagree, and do so politely. The UK position and ongoing support for the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination remains unchanged.”
The Falkland Islands, a point of historical contention between the UK and Argentina, have been under British control since 1833. The sovereignty of the islands was fiercely contested during the 1982 conflict, and the matter has remained a sensitive and significant issue in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Despite President Milei’s recent remarks suggesting an openness to future negotiations, the UK’s response has underscored the firm stance of the British government.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:
“The Foreign Secretary met the President of Argentina Javier Milei at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It was a warm and cordial meeting, setting out mutual support for a more constructive relationship between the UK and Argentina.
The Foreign Secretary and President Milei discussed how to enhance UK-Argentina relations through greater cooperation on areas of mutual interest including trade, education, culture and enhancing people to people links.
On the Falkland Islands, the Foreign Secretary and President Milei said they would agree to disagree, and do so politely. The UK position and ongoing support for the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination remains unchanged.”
He has to make a stink about the Falklands, he is bound by the constitution. In reality, I don’t think the Falklands even makes the top 1000 issues facing Milei and Argentina
Moving on
100% this, it’s just empty posturing for domestic political reasons.
I don’t think Milei even cares, he has said as much in the past. And since he’s aligning himself strongly with the West (i.e. not BRICS) he’s unlikely to want to get in any sort of serious spat with the UK.
It’s British media that hypes this up, of course the guy says he wants to have diplomatic discussion on the issue, he can’t say anything else. He never highlighted the FI as major issue unlike the Peronist. He far more interested in fixing Argentina’s economy.
The FI are well protected given the threat, our ability to retake them is better than at any time since the 70’s.
Agree..he will be interested in making deals around the EEZ and joint exploitation of natural resources.
“Our Ability to retake them is better than at any time since the 70’s” ….. OK, I’ll assume you are saying that the current UK Defences must have been overcome by a vastly superior yet non existent Argentine force to call for the retaking of them ? If this is the case then I really doubt that the UK could. If on the other hand you were just talking about a re run of 1982, then I’d tend to agree apart from the Logistical/ crewing Issues we currently have…. You did mention a couple of days ago the the UK would be unable to “Go it alone without US Help”…. ?
He’s not actually making a stink though…he’s saying he wants to talk….let’s talk and make deals that make the islanders, UK and Argentina money/wealth and move Argentina away from the communist Chinese client state it was heading to. He’s the right man to talk to and make those deals with.
There is nothing to talk, negotiate or make deals about, the Falklands are a closed issue.
Plenty to talk about around the EEZ, it’s a major item holding back the FI and it’s impossible to build a major oil industry on the island without support from Argentina. Like trying to develop the North Sea from Shetland without the UK industrial base.
There is always stuff to talk about, how the EEZ is developed, how we improve wealth and access to FI, access to healthcare etc etc…it’s not just about the sovereignty issue..that’s easy as it’s the will of the population..but everything else needs to be discussed and negotiated.
100%
Correct. Patagonia is the closest part of Argentina to the Falklands and no Argentines want to live there.
The Argentinians have played a very bad hand. They should shut up and in a couple or three decades try nice instead.
With 96-97% of Argentina identified as of European descent and 3% as descendants of indigenous… what am I missing about their message on colonialism being bad? Also to suggest islands 400 miles away are yours against the will of the population (there for nearly 200 years) makes for a lot of very sketchy arguments and conflicts across the globe. Disclaimer: I feel all colonial rule is bad, self determination good.
UK is around 86 per cent white European.
Yeah, and that is disastrous when you drill into the ages of those demographics.
About forty per cent between 20 and 50 so plenty for the citizens army. I’ll just watch.💂
It should be mandatory for all the woke idiots to be in any civilian army
In the late 19th, early C20th the Argentine government had an extermination policy for Patagonians. Argentina is a colonial construct.
That’s a pretty racist comment
The Falklands have been under British control since long before 1833.
In 1774: The British garrison departed from the islands due to the economic pressures of the American War of Independence.They left behind a plaque asserting British dominion.
It was also discovered by England, Drake.
Sorry, Say that again ? …. I’ve never ever seen or heard anything that says “Drake” discovered the FI’s….. I guess he might have but it’s not the Historical facts as recorded…..
Argentina has as much right to the Falklands as the UK has to the Pharos Islands, proximity is irrelevant verse international treaties and self determination.
If anyone has a claim in South America it’s Uruguay.
I think we should also ask for Greenland as well…
The same logic would apply 😀
Lol…. “Pharos Islands”….. are they some sort of Egyptian off shore resort or did you mean “Faroe Islands” ? 😂
Uruguay is in SA … what Claim do they have ?
Indeed the UK claim goes back to discovery in 1690 with a colony founded in 1766…the Argentinian claim all goes back to the fact at that time of discovery and colonisation Spanish still worked under the treat of Tordesillas which unilaterally divided the new world between Spain and Portugal..even the bits that had not been discovered yet…so the Falklands ( to the Spanish view) had to be Spanish and therefore via a convoluted rout had to be part of the post colonial nations that came from Spanish ownership…..all very interesting stuff.
Like most Argie politicos he is a posturing dick.
No he’s not, he’s bound by the Argentinian constitution to uphold their claim to the FI and has said as much away from home audiences. He would like to negotiate use of the EEZ in conjunction with FI leadership which would be prudent from any nation with bordering EEZs and similar interests, same as us and Norway with the North Sea.
Difference between us and Norway compared to Argies? We do not invade sovereign territories then spend decades whinging because we got our arses kicked.
Again Argentinian politicians do not have a choice! Their Constitution requires them to make a claim!
And actually we spent half the 1800s doing that!
I think the FO has dealt with the issue very well. An immediate rebuke and a reassertion of Britain’s position. The Falklands are British, it’s citizens have voted in a referendum to remain British and it is their right to self determination.
End of story.
As others have said a none issue..of course any president of Argentina is going to want to have diplomatic discussions about the Falklands..that’s fine…to be honest there are lots of discussions to be had. Not about sovereignty of the islands that is a matter for the will of the islanders and the will of the Uk ( we have to want the Falklands to be part of the UK it’s a two way thing). But about how to best exploit and secure the resources in the EEZ and work with a South American partner..if Argentina goes the right way that that a possible.
got to remember this guy is at heart a serious libertarian..he’s all about personal freedom..he will always want to talk and make deals…if we can in any way help him move Argentina away from its trajectory of communist client state to china then we should….it far better that than be faced with a Chinese puppet state that can call on china to help it pressure the UK and islanders.
Good summary, right now Argentina is zero threat. It will depend on Millei turing the country around. China will be usiing its influence to see if they can get him turfed out next election.
Well, he won’t fix Argentina’s economy by going to war, he seems to be mostly business-minded, so let’s see.
Looks the spit of “Monkey”….( for those of you who remember the 1980’s series…. Dubbed by Andrew Sachs and Burt Kwouk amongst others ) …. “Ahhh Monkey”…….
He looks like he’s got a bit of Welsh ancestry to me. Rockin’ that JPR Williams (RIP) look too.
It’s a bit rich to call us out on the Falklands being a product of Empire… isn’t that what Argentina is? But seriously, why have they never tried to win over the people who live there?