Pope Francis Poses with 'Dialogue for Malvinas' Sign

THE TELEGRAPH: Pope Francis poses with a propaganda sign calling for "dialogue" between Britain and Argentina

Pope Francis has posed with a propaganda poster backing Argentina's call for dialogue with Britain over the Falkland Islands.

The move risked angering residents of both the Falklands and Britain, which has always considered its sovereignty over the islands beyond question.

The Argentine pontiff, who has previously refused to get involved in the disagreement, was visited at the Vatican by an activist from the "Dialogue for Malvinas" campaign.

The activist presented the Pope with a sign reading: "It's time for Argentina and Britain to discuss the Falklands."

Britain and the Falkland Islanders have long rejected calls for dialogue, with the argument that there is nothing to discuss.

The islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain British in a March 2013 referendum. Read on and comment » | Harriet Alexander | Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Falklands Will Be Under Our Control Within 20 Years, Says Argentina

THE GUARDIAN: Argentinian foreign minister rules out military solution but says 'not one single country' supports UK right to govern islands

The Falklands Islands will be under Argentinian control within 20 years, the South American country's foreign minister, Héctor Timerman, has said in an interview with the Guardian.

Visiting London for the first time, he ruled out a military solution to the 130-year-old sovereignty dispute but claimed the world increasingly recognised that the islands were a product of colonialism. He accused the British government of being motivated by a fanatical desire to hold on to the islands and claimed "the United Kingdom has never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity to find a solution for the Malvinas".

He said: "I don't think it will take another 20 years. I think that the world is going through a process of understanding more and more that this is a colonial issue, an issue of colonialism, and that the people living there were transferred to the islands."

He vowed that the interests of the existing islanders would be protected under Argentinian rule, including "their way of life, their language and right to remain British citizens". But he drew a distinction between the islanders' interests, which could be met, and their wishes, which could not. » | Patrick Wintour, political editor | Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Argentina Turns to Wales for Help with Falkland Islands
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Argentina has held talks with Welsh nationalists about trying to win support among British MPs for the country's bid to win sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

Diplomats from the Argentinian embassy in London invited senior representatives from Plaid Cymru for talks in the past six months.

Elfyn Llwyd MP, the Westminster leader of the Welsh nationalist Plaid Cymru party, met two senior Argentinian diplomats for coffee.

Mr Llwyd confirmed the meeting had taken place, but he said he firmly rebuffed the approach to join Argentina’s campaign.

He told The Daily Telegraph that he had “no interest” in helping the South American country with its battle to win support for its claim to the islands.

He said: "I expressed no interest in getting involved in this fraught matter. They were trying to get me to introduce them to sympathetic MPs." Read on and comment » | Christopher Hope, Senior Political Correspondent | Wednesday, June 20, 2012

David Cameron and Argentina's Cristina Kirchner in Corridor Clash Over Falklands
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron was involved in an extraordinary confrontation with Argentinian President Cristina Kirchner at the G20 Summit in Mexico as she attempted to hand documents to the Prime Minister related to the Falkland Islands.

The two leaders are understood to have met unexpectedly in a corridor on the fringes of the G20 Summit and exchanged words.

Some reports indicated it was Mr Cameron who sought out President Kirchner. He told her that she should "respect the views" of Falkland residents who have announced they are to hold a referendum on the issue of control of the islands.

Mrs Kirchner attempted to hand an envelope to Mr Cameron but he refused to accept it. Héctor Timerman, the Argentinian foreign minister, said: "Nation states have the obligation to talk. We prepared an envelope containing various papers, but the British Primer Minister refused to receive it.

"Britain continues to refuse to talk. And what surprised me most was that David Cameron did not go to the UN decolonisation meeting on Thursday." » | Jonathan Gilbert, Buenos Aires | Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Argentina's President Renews Claim to Falkland Islands
THE GUARDIAN: Cristina Fernández de Kirchner marks 30th anniversary of end of Falklands war by attempting to reopen sovereignty talks

Argentina's president is pressing her country's claim to the Falkland Islands with a high-profile appearance before a little-known United Nations committee on the 30th anniversary of the end of the war.

Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's attendance on Thursday at the annual meeting of the UN decolonisation committee is the first by a head of state, and she [is] bringing dozens of supporters with her. By contrast, the Falkland Islands will be represented by two members of the legislative assembly, accompanied by six young islanders.

Argentina claims Britain has illegally occupied the islands they call the Islas Malvinas since 1833. Britain disputes Argentina's claim to the islands and says Argentina ignores the wishes of the island's 3,000 residents who have expressed a desire to remain British. Argentina maintains that the residents do not have the unilateral right to decide what they want the islands to be.

The clash over the islands flared into war in 1982 when Argentina's then-military dictatorship invaded.

Fernandez asked the 24-member decolonisation committee to schedule the annual discussion of the Falkland Islands' status on Thursday's anniversary of Britain's victory that ended the 74-day conflict. » | Associated Press | Thursday, June 14, 2012

Falklandkrieg: "Heute hätten wir keine Chance mehr"
DIE PRESSE: Am 14. Juni 1982 endete der Krieg um die Falklandinseln mit der Kapitulation Argentiniens. Admiral Sir John "Sandy" Woodward, Befehlshaber der Schlachtflotte der Royal Navy, sprach mit der „Presse".

Admiral Sir John Forster „Sandy" Woodward war 1982, als Konteradmiral, Befehlshaber jener Schlachtflotte der Royal Navy, die geschickt wurde, um die am 2. April 1982 von argentinischen Truppen besetzten Falklandinseln (Spanisch: Islas Malvinas), seit 1833 britische Außenbesitzung im Südatlantik, zurückzuerobern. Am 21. Mai landeten bei Port San Carlos auf Ostfalkland britische Landstreitkräfte, die Argentinier gaben am 14. Juni nach heftigen Kämpfen und etwa 900 Toten auf beiden Seiten auf. Heute lebt Woodward (80) in dem pittoresken südenglischen Dorf Bosham nahe Portsmouth in einem alten Fischerhaus haarscharf an der Wasserlinie - jeden Tag schwappt dort die Flut an dessen Außenmauern, zieht sich wieder zurück und hinterlässt schräg im Sand liegende Boote. Dort sprach er mit der „Presse" über den Krieg, seine taktischen Lehren und Grausamkeiten, das Leben danach, den heutigen Zustand der Royal Navy und Margaret Thatcher. » | Von Wolfgang Greber (Die Presse) | Mittwoch, 13. Juni 2012

Incredible! Simply Incredible! Talk about Double Standards! Falkland Islands Plan Referendum 'To Send a Message to Argentina'
The Falkland Islands has announced a referendum to be held next year on its status as a British territory in an effort to fend off aggressive Argentinian claims over the South Atlantic islands.

Read the article and comment here | Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent | Tuesday, June 12, 2012