Argentinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement regarding the Falkland Islands on 3 January, 2024.
The statement disseminated by the ministry, reads:
“On 3 January, 1833, the United Kingdom forcibly occupied the Malvinas Islands (Falkland Islands), a territory over which Argentina had exercised its sovereignty rights since its early days as an independent nation, having inherited Spain’s possessions in South America. This act by the British Government was an act of force carried out in times of peace that was contrary to international law and was never consented to by the Argentine Government, which immediately protested against it.
Since then, all Argentine Governments have reaffirmed their legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas. Pursuant to the Argentine Constitution, recovering the full exercise of our sovereignty over such territories, in accordance with International Law, while respecting the way of life of their inhabitants, is a permanent and unrenounceable goal of the Argentine people.
The United Nations General Assembly has characterized the Question of the Malvinas Islands as a special and particular colonial situation involving a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom that must be settled through bilateral negotiations between the Governments of both countries, bearing in mind the interests of the inhabitants of the Islands. In addition, it has urged the parties to refrain from carrying out unilateral acts in the disputed area.
Numerous international and regional fora have voiced their support for Argentina’s sovereignty rights and for the resumption of bilateral negotiations, including the Special Committee on Decolonization of the UN General Assembly, the Organization of American States (OAS), the G77 & China, MERCOSUR, the Ibero-American Summit, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZPCAS), among others.
The Argentine Government once again expresses its willingness to resume bilateral negotiations in order to find a solution to this sovereignty dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN General Assembly resolutions”.
Within this framework, the Argentine Government wishes to maintain a mature relationship with the United Kingdom that involves substantive and constructive dialogue on all matters of mutual interest with a view to building a climate of trust conducive to the resumption of negotiations.
With the conviction that the only possible path to recover the exercise of its rights is through diplomatic means, Argentina also reiterates its interest in the Good Offices mission that the General Assembly entrusted to the United Nations Secretary-General with a view to assisting the parties to resume negotiations in order to find, as soon as possible, a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute relating to the Question of the Malvinas Islands.
The Argentine Government and people once again reaffirm, 191 years after the illegal occupation of the Malvinas Islands, their legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty rights over the Malvinas, South Georgias and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas.
