Cameron confronts Argentine leader
Prime Minister David Cameron has confronted Argentina's president over the Falklands, as the two met on the margins of the G20 summit in Mexico.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner attempted to hand Mr Cameron a package marked "UN - Malvinas" but the Prime Minister refused to accept it. He told her she should respect the decision of the Falkland Islanders on their future in a referendum to be held next year.
A Downing Street official later said: "President Kirchner didn't actually try to hand the Prime Minister any document. If they do want to give us a letter, then it's easy enough to find the UK delegation office at the G20. But we don't need an envelope from Kirchner to know what the UN resolutions say. There have only been two binding resolutions, both in 1982, both of which Argentina ignored."
Relations between Britain and Argentina are in the deep freeze after Buenos Aires tried to use the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War to revive its claim on the islands it knows as the Malvinas. Britain has rejected calls made by Ms Kirchner to the UN decolonisation committee last week for direct talks to discuss the future of the disputed territory in the south Atlantic.
The tension between the countries has been ramped up during this week's summit after Mr Cameron singled out Argentina for criticism for its protectionist trade policies. Downing Street aides said the Prime Minister sought out Ms Kirchner to make Britain's position on the Falklands clear. Mr Cameron said: "I am not proposing a full discussion now on the Falklands but I hope you have noted that they are holding a referendum and you should respect their views. We should believe in self-determination and act as democrats here in the G20."
Aides said Mr Cameron gave a "clear and calm message" which he repeated three times as his words were interpreted into Spanish. Ms Kirchner was said to have responded with "ramblings" as she tried to hand the PM the envelope stuffed with documents, but Mr Cameron walked away.
In a speech to a business audience in summit venue Los Cabos, the Prime Minister said G20 countries should be setting an example to the rest of the world by avoiding protectionism and accused Argentina of failing to do so. He cited the case of the nationalisation earlier this year of oil company YPF, which is largely owned by Spanish firm Repsol.
Argentine foreign minister Hector Timerman later called an impromptu press conference in Los Cabos, at which he accused Britain of dodging the opportunity to discuss the Falklands at last week's meeting of the UN decolonisation committee, only for Mr Cameron to raise it out of the blue. He denied that Ms Kirchner was seeking to stage a political stunt by discussing the issue with Mr Cameron in front of an Argentine camera crew.
Challenged during the press conference over why Buenos Aires would not accept the outcome of the war 30 years ago, Mr Timerman said: "Thirty years ago there was a war, 180 years ago there was an invasion by the British of Argentina. Great Britain invaded Argentina four times because the ones who are famous around the world for being colonialists are the British, not the Argentines. Argentina has always opposed colonialism and it fought against it and we won."
Speaking later to UK broadcasters, Mr Cameron said: "I wanted to make absolutely clear here at the G20 to the Argentine president that the people of the Falkland Islands have decided to hold a referendum about their future. And if she believes in democracy, if she believes in self-determination, she will respect the outcome of that referendum. I thought it was important to make that point and I made that point with some vigour."
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Chris Vella
Jun 20th 2012, 16:58
lArgentina never learns.
The British are trying to solve the dispute in a vry democratic way.
But it ooks like the two new aircraft cariers Britain is building will have work to do as soon as they are comisioned.
Mano' Xerri
Jun 21st 2012, 20:01
Yes the only difference is that the British grab anything in their path hence better known as the Colonials, including Malta (past). Yes they will have their hands full , cause knowing the Argentinians they will not let go, even so now they have a woman running the country, better deal with the devil then a hard headed woman on these matters of whio has the right the British who ruled the waves and colonized half the globe or the Argies..
Anthony Falzon
Jun 20th 2012, 11:37
HERE IN MALTA, IN THE 80'S WHEN THE ISLAND WAS RULED BY PEOPLE AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE MAGORITY, THE PEOPLE PROTESTED UNTILL WE GOT RID OF THEM, AND THEY WERE MALTESE LIKE THE REST OF US, SO CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE FALKLANDS WHO DO NOT WANT ARGENTINE RULE, WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE RULED BY FORIGNERS.
S Grech
Jun 20th 2012, 13:23
If you don't have the intelligence to write without using capital letters please don't bother to comment.
Mano' Xerri
Jun 21st 2012, 20:04
Yers but in this case the foreigners are the British. yeah?
Peter Gatt
Jun 20th 2012, 11:27
This issue has little to do with the people of the Falklands, colonialism or the Islands themselves. The real issue are the oil reserves along the continental shelf of the Falkland Islands. That is why Argentina and Britain are at loggerheads.
Which reminds me of Malta. We also have dispute sover our continental shelf with neighbouring countries, although our politicians seem to be more on their side rather then ours!
Says a lot about Maltese politicians and their loyalty to the people.
Edward Camilleri
Jun 20th 2012, 10:41
"But we don't need an envelope from Kirchner to know what the UN resolutions say. There have only been two binding resolutions, both in 1982, both of which Argentina ignored."
Magnificently put. Our civil servants will never ever reach this level of concise eloquence and intellectual clarity.
Charles Zammit
Jun 20th 2012, 10:32
C Cassar . What a BANAL comment .Come to that The Arab Nation should claim Malta !! The locals of these places have the last word . I was in Gibraltar a few years ago after a referendum and one could not see the Rock for Union flags .
This is called the will of the people !!
C Cassar
Jun 20th 2012, 11:44
If we used your logic, Malta would still be a British colony since most Maltese think they are so close to British culture (which of course couldn't be further from the truth). Malta has always been a sovereign nation, so talking about an Arab nation is showing lack of knowledge in this area.
The Falklands whose proper name is Las Malvinas was Argentinian in the past but was never a seperate sovereign nation.
Charles Cremona
Jun 20th 2012, 13:55
@C. Cassar: You said earlier that Gibraltar too should be handed back to Spain despite 99% of the people there voting to stay British, are you also aware that most Gibraltarians are of Maltese origin and don't want to be ruled by Spain.
Alan Cordina
Jun 20th 2012, 14:45
Arabs !?!? .... just 60 miles (not 400 miles) away from Sicily .... would that make me an Italian !?!? ... need to know that before next Sunday's game !! you are quite amazing C.Cassar ! LOL !!
David Buttigieg
Jun 20th 2012, 15:09
@C Cassar
"Malta has always been a sovereign nation"
I assume you are joking! Please tell me you aren’t so ignorant!
Malta became a sovereign nation for the first time EVER in 1964.For ages, including under the Knights who used to pay rent to be here, you knew that didn’t you, we were part of (not a colony of) Spain, much in the same way Gozo is part of Malta.
C Cassar
Jun 20th 2012, 15:25
Well hard luck for them, they can move to Malta or the UK if they prefer those cultures. Gibraltar should be Spanish full stop. The Uk and Malta are only a couple of hours away, so it's not a big move. Culturally the UK is the same as Gibralta is a British colony with British 'ways' of life.
David Buttigieg
Jun 20th 2012, 15:32
@C Cassar
"The Falklands whose proper name is Las Malvinas was Argentinian in the past"
Again, shows you do not know anything about the case.
The Falklands were NEVER Argentinian but fell under the Spanish crown (like Malta), as did Argentina itself.
They were abandoned by SPAIN, not Argentina, before they were settled in by Britain.
Mr brian taylor
Jun 20th 2012, 10:07
Following this logic,the present Argentinians should all return to Spain,as that is where they came from and leave Argentina to the real Argentinians. It just depends on how far back in time you choose when deciding what belongs to who.
Alfred Mifsud
Jun 20th 2012, 10:48
All problems of the world could be resolved if we had an answer to a simple question:
Where does history start? Unfortunately is like asking how long is a piece of string.
Mr Kevin Zammit
Jun 20th 2012, 10:57
:) North America would have a bigger problem with that!!
Anthony Falzon
Jun 20th 2012, 11:33
IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK SAY, 200 YEARS, ASK THE PEOPLE OF 200 YEARS AGO WHOM THEY WANT TO BELONG TO, ARGITINE OR BRITAIN, BUT IF YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO DO THAT, ASK THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING THERE NOW.
C Cassar
Jun 20th 2012, 11:41
er, no it's not the same logic. The Falklands are more than 10,000km from the UK and only some 3-400km from Argentina so it should have no right over the islands.
It's an outdated and colonial culture that defends this kind of nonsense and costs the UK tax payer a huge amount per Falkland Islands capita to maintain.
M Cachia
Jun 20th 2012, 12:49
The UK has the right of discovery ove r the islands, them being terra nullis at the time of colonisation. I think Mr. Cassar needs a brush up on his history.
Robert Agius
Jun 20th 2012, 13:13
@C. Cassar
Because the presidents there are so much for the natives, right? How about you take a good look at the islands across the whole oceans and use your own logic then?
Alan Cordina
Jun 20th 2012, 14:42
C.Cassar ... are you REALLY serious !!??? ha ha ha ha ....
C Cassar
Jun 20th 2012, 09:33
The Falklands should be part of Argentina. How would the British feel if somewhere such as the Isle of Wight was under Argentinian rule? The same with Gibralta, it should be under Spanish rule. Those British that don't like it can always move back to the UK where they will feel 'at home'.
S Grech
Jun 20th 2012, 10:06
So what is your opinion of Ceuta and Melilla then C Cassar?
Charles Cremona
Jun 20th 2012, 10:14
C. Cassar: I'm afraid you have got your facts wrong with your usual anti British rhetoric, the reason these territories are under British control is because the people that live there want to remain under the British flag, in a referendum in Gibraltar two years ago 99% of the population voted to stay Britsh, the people of the Falklands will vote in January and again are expected to want to stay as they are and I don't blame them, they have one of the highest living standards in the world.
Mr Danny Apap
Jun 20th 2012, 10:16
Are you so sure that the Falklander's and the Gibraltainians want to be ruled by other then Britain? Until such time that they want to change the Britain will continue to protect them in peace or in war!
M Cachia
Jun 20th 2012, 11:34
Idiotic comment - Argentina has as much claim to the Flaklands as any country in south America, dating back from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, which is not very much. The islands were contested for years before being abandoned and then colonised by the British, who discovered them before the Spanish I hasten to add.
Christian Mifsud
Jun 20th 2012, 12:28
You are out of touch. The people living on the Falkands want to remain British. They are going to hold a referendum to prove the point. No Argie president can change that and if she tries she will be in big trouble
Kyle Podesta
Jun 20th 2012, 14:18
How about you open your eyes to the world Mr Cassar? Cant realise that the Falkland people want to remain British just like Gibraltar, just like Bermuda, Anguilla, Monserrat and Cayman Islands,to mention just a few more..Britain is amongst highest living standards in the world so use your head, who do you think Falklanders are going to choose. As you are saying mabye Malta should be part of Turkey perhaps. Get your facts right and then comment.
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