Argentina will stop Falklands exploiting offshore oilfields, foreign minister says

Quirno condemned the British government for facilitating a significant offshore oil project in its waters. Photograph: PA Images/AlamyView image in fullscreenQuirno condemned the British government for facilitating a significant offshore oil project in its waters.

Fotografia: PA Images/Alamy Ilhas Malvinas Argentina vai impedir que as Ilhas Malvinas explorem campos de petróleo offshore, diz ministro das Relações Exteriores Pablo Quirno afirma que a medida faz parte da estratégia do governo argentino de afirmar pacificamente a soberania sobre as ilhas.

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleArgentina’s foreign minister has told an audience that included the British ambassador that his government would stop the Falkland Islands from exploiting its offshore oilfields as part of a strategy to take sovereignty.

Durante um discurso em evento de thinktank na capital argentina, Pablo Quirno condenou o governo britânico por não abrir negociações sobre as ilhas e por facilitar um importante projeto de petróleo offshore em suas águas.

Among those in the audience was David Cairns, the UK’s ambassador to Argentina. Cairns, who was photographed listening to Quirno, left the event shortly after the foreign minister returned to his seat.

Quirno disse ao público no evento organizado pelo Conselho Argentino de Relações Internacionais que o presidente de seu país, Javier Milei, tem uma estratégia para a afirmação “pacífica” da soberania argentina.

He said: “The British government not only refuses to enter into negotiations to resolve the sovereignty dispute, but is also taking unilateral measures regarding the exploitation of natural resources in the maritime areas that are part of the controversy.

Ver imagem em tela cheia Na Assembleia Geral da ONU no mês passado, Javier Milei condenou o desenvolvimento de petróleo no Bacia Norte das Ilhas Falkland como um “ato ilegal”.

Fotografia: Heather Khalifa/AP No mês passado, Milei disse à Assembleia Geral da ONU em Nova York que a organização internacional havia falhado seu país ao condenar o projeto Sea Lion, um desenvolvimento de petróleo na Bacia Norte das Ilhas Falkland, como um “ato ilegal”.

Argentina has accused the UK of flouting a 1976 UN resolution ordering both parties to desist from unilateral action on the islands.

On 28 September, Milei gave the UK a two-week deadline stop the oil project or face arbitration and a binding decision under annex VII of the UN convention on the law of the sea (UNCLOS) at the international tribunal for the law of the sea.

The UN does not officially recognise British or Argentinian sovereignty and maintains that the archipelago’s status remains a disputed matter that must be resolved through bilateral negotiations.

Ele tem convidado repetidamente ambos os governos a encontrar uma solução pacífica para a disputa que se transformou em conflito em 1982, após uma invasão das forças argentinas.

View image in fullscreenJavier Milei and Pablo Quirno at the UN last month. On Monday, Quirno warned third parties not to assist Falkland islanders in the exploitation of natural resources.

Fotografia: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images A guerra de 74 dias terminou com a rendição das forças argentinas. Custou a vida de 649 militares argentinos, 255 militares britânicos e três habitantes das Ilhas Falkland.

The UK government has said that the islands, known as Las Malvinas in Argentina and which are home to approximately 3,600 people, will remain a British overseas territory for as long as it is the wish of those who live there.

In a referendum in 2013, on a turnout of 92%, 99. 8% voted to remain a British territory, with only three votes against.

In a statement issued last week, the Argentinian government rejected “the manipulation of the principle of self-determination of peoples that the United Kingdom seeks to impose upon it”.

In his speech on Monday night, Quirno also warned third parties that they should not assist Falkland islanders in the exploitation of the natural resources.

A new shipping link is due to be opened between Chile and the Falkland Islands by the end of the year. Quirno said: “Whoever contributes, directly or indirectly, to the illegitimate exploration or exploitation of resources that belong to all Argentinians will hardly be able to aspire to share in the benefits of our country’s growth.”.