Oil prospects heighten tension between UK and Argentina

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner signed a decree Tuesday requiring all ships heading to the Falklands to apply for permission first, ratcheting up tensions with the UK, which has angered Buenos Aires by seeking oil in the region.

By News Wires (text)

AFP - Argentina escalated Tuesday a row with Britain over oil drilling in the Falklands by ordering all ships heading to the disputed islands through its waters to seek permission from Buenos Aires first.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner signed the decree, ratcheting up tensions between Argentina and Britain over Las Malvinas, the Spanish name for the islands they warred over in 1982 at the cost of almost 1,000 lives.

"All ships that wish to move between ports in continental Argentina and ports in the Malvinas islands, or that wish to cross Argentine territorial waters as they head to the islands" require prior permission, it said.

Kirchner's chief of staff Anibal Fernandez left no doubt the move was intended to clamp down on shipping that might be helping Britain as it launches operations to explore the region's oil and mineral reserves.

The decree seeks to achieve "not only a defense of Argentine sovereignty but also of all the resources" in the area, Fernandez explained, adding that a high-level permanent committee would be set up to monitor the shipping.

Anger in Argentina over the Falklands, which has bubbled below the surface for much of the last three decades, has threatened to boil over in recent months as Britain prepares to launch drilling operations.

Argentina has lodged a protest with London about drilling in the seabed around the windswept islands, which contains up to 60 billion barrels of oil, according to geological studies quoted in the British media.

A tug boat hauling a British exploration rig will arrive any day to start oil prospecting and the issue already came to a head earlier this month when Buenos Aires blocked a shipment of pipes it said was bound for the Falklands.

Argentine authorities boarded the foreign flagged "Thor Leader" in the southern port of Campana after learning it was about to take on a cargo of pipes used in the oil industry and apparently destined for the Falklands.

Buenos Aires is furious that London continues to skirt UN resolutions calling on both governments to renew a dialogue on the sovereignty of the Falklands.

"We wish to reaffirm the obligation to resolve the differences between Britain and us in the framework of international law and United Nations resolutions," Kirchner said on Tuesday.

Britain in January rejected Argentina's latest claim to the islands, which it has held and occupied since 1833.

The Foreign Office in London sought to play down Argentina's latest move in the row by issuing a bland statement, pointing out the obvious about the legal position.

"Regulations governing Argentine territorial waters are a matter for the Argentine authorities. This does not affect Falkland Islands territorial waters which are controlled by the island authorities," a statement said.

It said Argentina and Britain were "important partners" and pledged to "cooperate" on issues in the South Atlantic, where the Falklands are located.

Buenos Aires has urged a solution along the lines of what Britain agreed for the Chinese territory of Hong Kong.

Britain and Argentina's rival claims of ownership over the Falklands exploded into war in 1982 after Argentine military rulers seized the islands, only to be defeated and expelled by a British naval force.

The conflict lasted 74 days and cost the lives of 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 from Britain.

Date created : 17/02/2010

Comments (11)

Misleading Use of Maps

by Anonyme (not verified) - 01/03/2010 - 21:20

I would have to agree with the comments regarding the map shown by France24. The 'territorial waters' section is completely incorrect, as it depicts spurious 'claims' by Argentina, not the actual territorial waters as re-affirmed in 1982.

Their is no 'question' of sovereignty, this clearly lies with the Falkland Islands population -with the UK as protectors.

The attitude, stance and approach of Argentina is typical of a desperate, under-performing regime using the Falklands as a means of distracting the populous from the many negative aspects of the regime's management of the country, in the run-up to an election. This method was used in 1982.

Argentina would benefit far more from oil service industries and associated revenues if it had a more helpful, (not war-mongering), stance towards the issue.

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Re: Misleading use of Maps

by Anonyme (not verified) - 24/02/2010 - 20:29

That map shows Argentinian claims to the edge of its continental shelf, which is quite common when claiming natural resources and the map does not specify Argentinian territorial waters around the Falklands at all.

If this is the remains of 19th century nationalist politics in Argentina then the British/English reaction is the remains of 19th century Britain's imperialist mindset, where it seems to be stuck much of the time.

The issue of the Falklands is of course different from other disputes or changes in national territory. In my opinion the one place the Falklands could be compared with is Svalbard, which was uninhabited and only discovered in the 16th century. In that case an international treaty was eventually agreed that Norway has sovereignty being the closest country but that any ratifier of the treaty can exploit the resources.

Britain has a claim to sovereignty but it isn't absolute as it likes to think and that is the problem. If Britain keeps on behaving in this arrogant and chauvinistic fashion instead of negotiating with Argentina they are only going to store up problems for the Future. It seems that, just like in Northern Ireland, Britain only faces reality and makes concessions when the costs become too great.

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Misleading use of Maps

by Anonyme - 23/02/2010 - 18:21

I noted that the map posted here is despite the dual labelling of Falkland Island towns, highly biased.
It is based on CLAIMS by Argentina, not on facts or Geography.
If you look at the maps it seems as if the nearest land mass may in fact be Chilean Islands.
I wonder if France or the UK or any EU country would find acceptable any neighbour who claimed as territorial waters such extensive area? Try drawing a similar map of the EU water and see where you get! Please see this all for what it is the remains of 19th Centuary Nationalistic politics by Argentina.
Is it any less Imperialist than its claims about the UK?
The people living there are who matter, not some fantasy based on lines on maps. It has been British since 1833 almost as old as the USA, should we Brits now claim the US back?
Should France and the UK go again over Norman history? How about the channel Islands? How about West and East Prussia?
Lets all have another go eh! Germany can invade Poland, everyone lets dance!!!!
Madness! If we measured ownership by such means all hell would break loose. History is there to teach us to try to AVOID the same mistakes, no to repeat them.
http://www.france24.com/en/files/imagecache/aef_ct_wire_image/images/afp...

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islas malvinas

by Anonyme - 20/02/2010 - 19:55

They must go away of the islands malvinas, we are going to throw them if to import what costs, the islands are Argentine with or without kelpers

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Re: Hypocrisy

by Anonyme - 20/02/2010 - 03:17

Its amazing how many little Englanders come out of the woodwork when the Falklands are being discussed.

Yeah of course the falklands were British, British for time immemorial eh; they claimed the Falklands along with about five other countries. Argentina had a settlement on the Falklands before the British, the British only established their settlement in 1833 after the Americans ejected the Argentinians from the islands. I don't know why the Americans feel the need to help you out every time you lose control of the falklands, only for them the Falklands would've been Argentinian territory long ago.

Also to discuss hypocrisy is rather hypocritical, if I may say so, considering the way the British government treated the islanders of Diego Garcia and you talk about how "British" the Falkland islanders are and how they should be the ones to decide. But then they weren't loyal British planters, they happened to be the indigenous people of the island, which of course in British terms means they're worthless. So maybe you shouldn't talk about the French colonies in quite so derogatory terms - not that I'm French, the British have always behaved despicably towards them and other native peoples. The French have certainly treated native peoples in their colonies a damn sight better than the English/British ever have down through the centuries.

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Falkland Islands claims

by Anonyme - 19/02/2010 - 16:58

Once again the Agentine Government is in a little difficulty and once again their ridiculous claims to these islands are being used to deflect attention from poor governance. I believe that the British see no need to discuss soveriegnty any further because their position was made very clear in 1982; the islands are and will remain British, no amount of dialogue will change this position. Nor will Argentine sabre rattling. Britain may no longer be the great power it once was but it is still a country that will defend it's territory with utmost vigour. A dangerous game is being played by the Agentine Government, they may create an unstoppable desire for military action that can only end in disaster for them and the deaths of their poor young soldiers (mostly working clas conscripts) as in '82.

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Where?

by Anonyme - 18/02/2010 - 19:02

Where, oh where, are Juan Peron and Evita when you really need them?

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Hypocrisy

by Anonyme - 18/02/2010 - 16:01

"What would be expected from colonial England, exploiting others territories"

Ha, look at France then. Nuking its own subjects in the pacific, preventing the New Caledonians from having their independence and keeping its caribbean colonies in permanent poverty. That is colonialism.
Tha Falkland Islanders are British. The Falklands were British before Argentina existed as an independent state. Only since 1945 have they claimed the territory. Now that there's oil to be found there they claim the old colonialism argument which holds no weight anymore. The falklanders have self-determination and now they have oil, and there's no way that the Argentines are going to take that away from them

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oil, profits, relationship

by Anonyme - 17/02/2010 - 12:22

old problem on profits between two coutnries in Falkland, understanding every one stand on his own benefit, normal, and logical, behind the governement decree is the huge profit atrraction and some powerful oil private giants. can we say the politicien serve for the private groupe in order to get support from them, it is two legs of one body.