No discussion over Falklands, says Lord Cameron ahead of visit
Lord Cameron has asserted that the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands will not be open for debate as long as the islanders wish to maintain their status as British territory.
The foreign secretary is gearing up for the first official visit to the islands by a cabinet minister since 2016.
Last month, Argentina’s President Javier Milei advocated for the transfer of the islands in the South Atlantic Ocean to Argentine control.
The visit precedes a gathering of the foreign ministers of the G20 nations, including Argentina and the UK.
Lord Cameron reaffirmed the UK government’s unwavering stance that the sovereignty of the islands is non-negotiable as long as the islanders desire British affiliation.
In anticipation of the trip, he stated, “The Falkland Islands are an esteemed component of the British community, and we firmly maintain that as long as they express a desire to remain within the British fold, sovereignty will not be subject to discussion.”
He added, “The Falkland Islanders should take pride in the contemporary, prosperous society they have cultivated.”
The foreign secretary’s visit occurs amid ongoing appeals by Argentina for the self-governing territory to be transferred to Buenos Aires.
Following his meeting with President Milei, who asserts Argentina’s inherent sovereignty over the islands known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina, the Foreign Office indicated that the two parties would respectfully agree to disagree.
The islands, 8,000 miles from the UK and 300 miles off the coast of Argentina, were the subject of war in 1982 claiming the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders, and 649 Argentinian personnel.
In 2013, when Lord Cameron was prime minister, islanders voted in a 90% turnout referendum in which 1,513 were in favor of remaining a UK overseas territory while just three votes were against it.
Mr. Milei has previously suggested a Hong-Kong style handover and has stressed war “is not a solution”.
During his visit, Lord Cameron is expected to pay his respects to those who lost their lives during the conflict, meet leaders of the Falkland Islands government in a visit to the capital Stanley, as well as greet the Islands’ penguins.
The last cabinet minister to visit the islands was then-Defence Secretary Michael Fallon in 2016.
Lord Cameron is then set to visit Paraguay – the first time a British foreign secretary has visited the South American nation.
Afterwards, he will attend a meeting of G20 nations – including Russia’s Sergei Lavrov – in Brazil on Wednesday.
