Argentina's Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno responded on social media to the United Kingdom's stance on the Falkland Islands, stating that the 2013 referendum lacks validity and rejecting the islanders' right to self-determination. This came amid tensions between the United States and Britain over potential shifts in US support for London. Quirno urged resuming bilateral negotiations to resolve the sovereignty dispute.
Pablo Quirno, Argentina's Foreign Minister, posted on social media in response to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who stated that "British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands is not in question" and defended the islanders' right to self-determination.
Quirno emphasized that "the current inhabitants of the Falkland Islands have never been recognized as a 'people' by the United Nations," so "the so-called 'referendum' of 2013 also lacks validity." He recalled that the 1833 occupation was "an act of force contrary to the international law of the time" and that the UN General Assembly recognized the sovereignty dispute, urging bilateral negotiations.
The message follows reports that the United States, angered by limited British support in the war against Iran, might withdraw backing for London on the Falklands issue, as per a Pentagon memorandum. Quirno rejected Britain's invocation of the principle of self-determination and denounced illegal natural resource exploration activities violating UN resolutions.
He invited the United Kingdom to resume negotiations for a "peaceful and definitive solution" and thanked international support, concluding: "By history, by right and by conviction: the Malvinas are Argentine."
