The new Argentinian government has signalled it won’t give up its disputed claims on the Falkland Islands – which they call Las Malvinas.
Diana Mondino, Argentina’s Foreign Minister, criticised her British counterpart Lord David Cameron for his recent trip to the Falklands.
In remarks reported by Argentinian media, Ms Mondino also said: “There is no possible discussion over the [future sovereignty of] Las Malvinas… We are looking for the best way to achieve this, changing strategies so as not to end up with options such as war or freezing relations with Britain.”
The Argentinian official suggested that her country, by implementing the reforms desired by President Javier Milei, could get one step closer to annexing the Falklands.
She said: “With a healthier society and an orderly economy, it will be easier to recover the islands, which is what we all want.”
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Ms Mondino’s remarks came shortly before she met Lord Cameron during his whirlwind visit across the pond that took place in February.
Despite the dispute on the Falklands, the Argentinian minister hailed the meeting itself as the beginning of a “very productive future” between Buenos Aires and London.
Ms Mondino spoke a few months after Mr Milei, whose term began in December, claimed the Argentinian sovereignty of the islands is “non-negotiable”.
He added: “Now we have to see how we are going to get them back. It is clear that the war option is not a solution. We had a war – that we lost – and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels.”
For its part, the British Government has reassured Falkland Islands residents they will be protected and that London will continue to “proactively defend the Falkland islanders’ right to self-determination”.
During his recent trip, the first to be carried out to the Falklands by a Foreign Secretary since 1994, Lord Cameron said he hoped the islands would wish to remain part of the British “family” forever.
He said: “Let me be absolutely clear: as far as we are concerned, as long as the Falkland Islands want to be part of the UK family they are absolutely welcome to be part of that family and we will support them and back them and help protect and defend them absolutely, as far as I’m concerned, for as long as they want. And I hope that’s for a very, very long time, possibly forever.”
The population of the Falklands expressed in no uncertain terms their desire to see the islands remain a British Overseas Territory during the 2013 referendum on the sovereignty of the territory.
At the time, 99.80 percent of the total vote cast opted for the area to remain British.
Despite the clear-cut result, more than a decade later Argentina continues to lay claim on the territory. Now Express.co.uk is asking its readers whether they think a fresh referendum should be held on the Falkland Islands to try and quash the dispute.
Let us know your thoughts in the poll and the comments below.
