'We agree to disagree': Britain rebuffs Argentina after claims discussions have begun over Falkland Islands
18 January 2024, 12:45 | Updated: 18 January 2024, 14:26
Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Argentinian leader Javier Milei have 'agreed to disagree' over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The pair met for talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Mr Milei suggested a Hong Kong-style agreement.
The move would mean the UK has to hand sovereignty of the islands to Buenos Aires.
Mr Milei said Lord Cameron and his Argentine counterpart Diana Mondino would "move forward in finding a solution" to the dispute over the islands.
But the Foreign Office made clear the issue was not up for discussion.
There is much that the UK and Argentina can achieve by working together.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) January 17, 2024
I met President @JMilei to discuss building cooperation on trade and combatting global threats.
I wished him well in his attempts to bring Argentina back to economic growth. pic.twitter.com/oSmLb48sru
A spokesman for the FCDO said it was a "warm and cordial" meeting but rejected the claim that discussions had begun on the topic.
"On the Falkland Islands, the Foreign Secretary and President Milei said they would agree to disagree, and do so politely," the spokesman said.
"The UK position and ongoing support for the Falkland Islanders' right to self-determination remains unchanged."
Lord Cameron tweeted that they had discussed "building co-operation on trade and combatting global threats".
Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falklands. It is not the first time Mr Milei has suggested the UK approach the issue in a similar way to the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.
When asked whether there was scope for a resolution, Mr Milei said: "We have not made in-depth progress, but we have made it an item on the agenda for our minister Diana Mondino and minister Cameron to move forward in finding a solution on the topic."
The Falklands, known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina, were the subject of a conflict in 1982, which claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentinian personnel.
A 2013 referendum saw close to 100% of voters on the islands, which have a population of about 3,500, opt to remain a British Overseas Territory.
The Falklands are about 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from mainland Argentina.
