In response to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Commons statement made on 16 March, in which he conducted an Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, the Argentine Republic states once again that the United Kingdom must listen to the international community, which advocates for the end of colonialism in the world and, through UN Resolution 2065 has stated, in relation to the Malvinas Question, that bilateral dialogue is the way to solve the sovereignty dispute.
The statements made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterate the traditional colonialist ideology of the United Kingdom regarding the Malvinas Islands and the British territories around the world, and Argentina considers that this presents no novelty concerning Britain’s colonialist policy. By using the defence of the “right to self-determination” as an argument, which is not recognized by the United Nations in this case, the United Kingdom maintains its illegal presence in the South Atlantic, with the aim of appropriating its resources and controlling access to the Antarctic as well as to the passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Argentina systematically denounces that one of the United Kingdom’s main aims is to maintain a military base in Malvinas, which South Atlantic Latin America countries and African countries that are part of the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone (ZPCAS) have noted is a threat to the region. Argentina has repeatedly denounced that such a base violates UN Resolution 31/49, which prohibits unilateral actions within the disputed zone, of which this military base is an example.
This also happens in a context of deep concern for those who believe that Brexit has undermined Britain’s position in the world and particularly those affected by the exclusion of overseas territories such as the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas from the free trade agreement with the EU.
The Argentine Republic reiterates that, as provided for in its Constitution and as it has consistently stated since the restoration of democracy, it only recognizes dialogue, diplomacy, and peace as the way to recover exercise of sovereignty over the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas. As our President Alberto Fernández said in his address to Congress on 1 March, we believe that this is the time to engage in bilateral dialogue to recover the exercise of sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands as provided for in UN Resolution 2065, as there should be no more room for colonialism in the 21st century.
