Great Britain has rejected an offer from the US to settle the dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands (the Malvinas).
To be exact, Washington did not offer mediation to the issue. Speaking during a press-conference in Buenos Aires on Monday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is currently on her Latin America tour, has said that Washington wants to encourage dialogue between the two countries but is not offering to act in a mediating role...
The US offer was discussed at Downing Street on Tuesday when Foreign Secretary David Miliband updated the British Cabinet on the latest development. Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s spokesman says that they welcome the support of the Secretary of State in terms of ensuring that they continue to keep diplomatic channels open but there is no need for that. Self-determination of 3,000 of Islanders who wish to remain British is the key issue, Mr. Miliband said. It means that London is not going to discuss Argentina’s sovereignty claims over the islands.
The Falklands lie 500 kilometers off the South American Atlantic coast. Britain has held the archipelago-which Argentina calls the Malvinas- since 1833. In 1982 Argentina invaded the islands which resulted into a short but bloody war with Britain. There are an estimated 60 billion barrels of oil in the Falklands. Tensions in the area intensified in the beginning of this year when the British company Desire Petroleum began drilling for oil in the Falklands waters. Argentine President Cristina Kirchner issues an order which empowered Argentina to control marine cargo shipment to the Falklands. Last week, Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to bring the UK into talks over this thorny issue. The UK government responded that the islands have a “legitimate right” to develop an oil industry within their waters. The Times says, however, in private talks British ministers admitted they had been preparing for a diplomatic stand-off with Argentina.
Citing an anonymous source, The Times also reported that Great Britain had decided to boost its navy with a submarine, and in January the UK air forces in the Falklands received four new jets. The Sun newspaper reports the York warship came into contact with an Argentine vessel Drummond in January not far from the territorial waters of the Falkland Islands. And though London and Buenos Aires insist they have no intentions to use force to settle the dispute, the US mediation on the issue would be a proper thing. But it appears that London is determined to resolve the conflict without the US help...
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