UK to steadfastly defend Malvinas: Hague

Hague once again voiced British government’s war policies in defending the so-called “occupied” islands in the South Atlantic, while he was addressing the foreign diplomatic corps of over 100 ambassadors at a white tie dinner in the City of London.

The diplomatic tensions between Britain and Argentina have heightened as the 30th anniversary of the war between the two nations over the sovereignty of the archipelago approaches.

Hague, seeking to calm the diplomatic ties with the South American nations that strongly support Argentina’s claim over the islands, claimed that Britain was keen to expand its ties with Latin America.

“We are reversing Britain’s decline in Latin America, where we are opening a new Embassy in El Salvador.

“This determination to deepen our relations with Latin America is coupled with our steadfast commitment to the right of self determination of the people of the Falkland Islands,” Hague said in his speech.

Alicia Castro, Argentina’s new ambassador to the UK, reportedly attended the dinner. Argentina had no representative in the UK since 2008 when the last ambassador Federico Mirré retired and was not replaced by the Argentine government in a bid to voice its disappointment over the Malvinas dispute.

Hague insisted that Britain would support self-determination of the islanders and would prevent Argentina from “raising the diplomatic temperature” over the issue.

“(The events) are not so much celebrations as commemorations. I think Argentina will also be holding commemorations of those who died in the conflict. Since both countries will be doing that I don’t think there is anything provocative about that,” he added.

Argentina has several times asked the British government to launch further negotiations over the islands, and last month filed a complaint at the United Nations against Britain for planning to militarize the dispute over the issue.

However, Britain considered its constant military threats as part of a routine plan, claiming it was not militarizing the archipelago.

This comes as Britain deployed its most sophisticated warship, HMS Dauntless, and a nuclear submarine along with an heir to throne, the Duke of Cambridge, to the South Atlantic to prevent Argentina’s possible counter-move.

SAB/AZ/HE

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