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Argentine president to British PM: Can we talk Falklands?
Memo from Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to new British Prime Minister David Cameron: Congrats on your appointment, now can we discuss the Falklands?
Three days after Cameron was declared the new head of British government, Argentina's president has written him with a request for renewed talks over the disputed Falkland Islands, Argentina's official Telam news agency reported Friday.
Kirchner's letter expressed a "desire of the Argentine government to resume the delayed process of negotiation over the sovereignty" of the islands in accordance with U.N. resolutions, Telam said.
Kirchner also vented Argentine opposition to recent British oil drilling near the Falklands, which Argentina has always claimed to own.
Argentina "has rejected" Britain's recent "hydrocarbon exploration activities ... in a unilateral manner in the disputed area" of the islands, her letter said.
The islands sit off Argentina's coast but have been under British rule since 1833. Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982, prompting a war in which more than 600 Argentinean and 255 British military personnel died.
Britain keeps a military presence on the islands, and the Falkland Islands government - representing a population of about 2,500 - says it remains committed to British sovereignty.
The dispute was rekindled in February after a British oil rig started drilling in the North Falkland Basin, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the islands.
Referring to the drilling in her letter, Kirchner wrote that she hopes to have "the possibility to stop these actions in favor of fruitful cooperation," Telam reported.
Cameron was appointed prime minister Tuesday, after the resignation of Gordon Brown of the Labour Party. Cameron's Conservative Party has entered a coalition with the Liberal Democrats in hope of forming a majority government. No party received a majority in Britain's election last Thursday.
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The Falklands have been a part of the UK for nearly 200 years, the local population has no desire to join the decrepit Argentine state, and the last time the issues was forced, the Argentinians (rightly) got stomped on. Kirchner is simply using this for personal political gain. The last time the Argentine leaders tried to do so with the Falklands, it did not work out so well... I suggest the Argies focus on helping their own citizens and righting their own heinous past wrongs and let a few thousand sheep herders on the Falklands alone. Or else.
FALK off Argentina.
Lets get to the real heart of the situation here, this is an arguement over fishing rights and Oil potential...basically MONEY Argentina is a poor (near third world banking basket case) When the FALKLANDS were invaded by ill-informed troops their leader/dictator must have been wraping his hands with glee as he had diverted his ignorant populations attention away from himself and their worsening plight and onto another issue that they could never win and never will. If any nation but Britian has any claim it would be SPAIN NOT ARGENTINA. Being of Spanish decent and english decent it would appear to me that Spain has looked into this already due to the potential MONEY that can be made but have come to the conclusion that there is not a strong enough claim to the islands for them to go to the UN never mind the expense of going to war (more importantly the expense of lives) Spain may verbally say that (being a catholic country) it tends to support argentina but then it would say that. Actions though speak louder than words and were spain is concerned............Nothing but silence in any hard line in the UN and NO action! And if you cannot speaka de propers englash then don't make a statement or at least go to an online translator of which there are many and don't make a fool of yourself...just makes you look stupid and supports my whole arguement. (to everyone who can speak english properly bet this get lost in translation???LOL)
Here's the missing text from Argentine high school lessons:
1) THE PEOPLE OF THE FALKLANDS HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF DETERMINATION.
2) THE PEOPLE OF THE FALKLANDS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A NATION, IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS THE PEOPLE OF EVERY OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN NATION.
3) THE PEOPLE OF THE FALKLANDS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN RESOURCES.
On the other hand:
The people of Argentina have the right to develop their own economy, democracy, to improve their education system, and foster good relations with their neighbours.
Of course, the people of Argentina, of which 85% are of European ancestry, have the right to apply for Italian and Spanish visas and hence bugger off back to the land of their forefathers.
@ Miki
"who really cares now.?? the falklands are just too far from anywhere."
Specifically, the relatives of the service members who gave their lives to defend the Falklands, and the politicians who sent them. More generally, wayward outposts of civilization have a knack of becoming more valuable with time on account of resources and availabilty of land. They called Alaska "Seward's folly." Who knew that land was worth the $7.2 million it cost back in 1867. In any case, discussion with Argentina over any transfer of sovereignty would justifiably result in a change of government in Great Britain.
NEVER give the Falkland Islands back to Argentina. Just because those islands are close to Argentina does not mean they have a right to them. If proximity was the measure of sovereignty then Russia should own Alaska!
I am deeply sorry for the ridiculous request of this called President of Argentina.
1. Falkland Islands are Brit, and will be like that, not only because Brits won that war but because the people living in there don't want to know anything about being Argentineans.
2. Can this Argentinean President explain why she wants more land when she can't keep order on the actual Argentinean Territory? The country is worst than ever before on where the highest unemployment rate of the history is being experienced and in addition the country became the most unsecured place in the world (I really mean it as I was there recently).
3. More Land? for what? She doesn't even have a plan to decentralize the population in Buenos Aires. Now she plans to populate the Falklands and ruin that peaceful and beautiful place? If I live in the Falklands and this happens I rather start packing and move somewhere else.
Time to wake up for Mrs. Kirschner and be serious. Less "bad habits" before writing an official letter to another country and more better behavior as a President. You are representing a country and not a Bakery!
Nothing belongs to anyone unless they can fight for it and conquer it. All the rest is just complaining from the weak loser.
There is no sovereignty issue to discuss. That was settled in 1982 in the manner of Argentina's choosing.
Too right it was. I was at Stonehouse Barracks as my father was a Captain in the Royal Marines so I remember it well. They came, they saw and then we kicked their ass
100% CORRECT THERE IS NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT,AND YES WE THE BRITISH DO CARE THE ISLANDERS ARE BRITISH AND OUR TROOPS GAVE THEIR LIVES TO KEEP IT THAT WAY I WOULD WILLING DO THE SAME GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
A few useful dates –
1690 – the waterway between the two islands is named ‘Falkland Sound’ by Captain John Strong from the ship Welfare
1765 – Captain John Byron explores the islands and claims them for King George III as the Falkland Islands
1770 – Britain and Spain nearly go to war over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. Spain backs down but continues to make use of one natural port in the islands.
1776 the British garrison leave the islands but Britain retains sovereignty
1811 Spain leaves
1816 The United Provinces of South America (Argentina) declare their independence from Spain
1820 – the Buenos Aries pirate/privateer Colonel David Jewett (American) reaches the islands after an unrewarding expedition to prey on Spanish ships. He finds 50 British and US sealing ships at anchor but still 'claims' the islands for Argentina??
1824/28 – Luis Vernet organises settlements on the islands with British permission.
1832 – (October) Buenos Aries sends a garrison of 26 soldiers to the Falkland Islands under Major Esteban Mestivier. Britain protests.
1833 – (January) Argentine garrison ejected by British forces from HMS Clio. 22 of the settlers remain as British subjects.
1982 – Argentina invades the islands. Maintains a garrison for 2 months until (once again) ejected by British forces.
The Falkland Islands are British both historically and currently due to the will of the people there. They cannot be RETURNED to Argentina, because they NEVER belonged to Argentina!
In January 1765, the British captain John Byron, unaware of the French presence, explored and claimed Saunders Island, at the western end of the group, where he named the harbour of Port Egmont. He sailed near other islands, which he also claimed for King George III. A British settlement was built at Port Egmont in 1766. Also in 1766, Spain acquired the French colony, and after assuming effective control in 1767, placed the islands under a governor subordinate to the Buenos Aires colonial administration. Spain attacked Port Egmont, ending the British presence there in 1770. The expulsion of the British settlement brought the two countries to the brink of war, but a peace treaty allowed the British to return to Port Egmont in 1771 with neither side relinquishing sovereignty
I grew up in a Royal Marine family and remember 1982 and the cost in human life! The Falklands are British and will stay that way if this country still has backbone which I hope it still has.
The "Falklands" are from Argentina. Expelling their habitants in 1833 and putting your stuff there does not make them yours. But if you think so, then stop crying about being invaded by extremist muslims who go to your country, and say you're wrong about everything (as you say to us) self determination, FUNNY why don't you start calling London "Londonistan"?