Downing Street has scrambled to defend the Falkland Islands after Argentina’s attempts to leverage the Chagos Islands debacle for its own gain.
In light of yesterday’s controversial move, Argentina renewed its vow to take full sovereignty of the Falklands, with its foreign minister threatening “concrete action” to hand the islands over to Buenos Aires.
But now, No10 has hit back.
A Downing Street spokesman told GB News: “To be very clear on the Falklands, Chagos does not change our policy or approach to other overseas territories.”
Argentina’s foreign minister Diana Mondino welcomed the Chagos decision
REUTERS
The Chagos Islands – a British Overseas Territory (BOT) – will be handed over to China ally Mauritius alongside a “financial support” package in order to “address wrongs of the past”, the Foreign Office said yesterday.
Britain will cede sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia – which plays host to a joint UK-US military base – but it will retain the facility on a 99-year lease, as the UK did with Hong Kong.
The move prompted uproar – as well as finger-pointing at Labour and ex-Foreign Secretary James Cleverly – but also provoked fears over the sovereignty of fellow BOTs the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar.
Argentina’s foreign minister Diana Mondino welcomed the Chagos decision – which she touted as an example of ending “outdated practices”.
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Sunset over Port Stanley in 1982
PA
In a post on social media, using the Spanish-language name for the Falklands, the “Islas Malvinas”, she said: “Following the path we have already taken, with concrete actions and not empty rhetoric, we will recover full sovereignty over our Falkland Islands.
“The Falklands were, are and will always be Argentine,” she claimed.
Similar assurances to Downing Street’s were issued from the Falklands on Thursday.
The Islands’ Governor, Alison Blake, said: “I am aware that there may be concerns, either amongst the Falkland Islands community or others, of potential read across to the Falkland Islands.
Then-Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron and Falklands Governor Alison Blake, pictured in the Falklands February this year
PA
“I would like to reassure you that the legal and historical contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and the Falkland Islands are very different.
“UK ministers have been very clear throughout the process that the UK will not agree to anything that runs the risk of jeopardising sovereignty in other Overseas Territories.
“The UK Government remains committed to defending the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination, and the UK’s unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty remains undiminished.”
Gibraltar, another British territory whose status is contested by a foreign power, was also the subject of speculation in the immediate aftermath of the Chagos announcement.
But GB News understands that officials are steering clear of the issue, and are confident in the UK Government’s ability to deliver on the will of the Rock regardless of how Spain might view the Chagos handover.