Argentina monitoring talks between Chilean and Malvinas firms, says Quirno
“We are monitoring the situation. We have agreements in force with Chile and, obviously, we expect Chile to respect those treaties, just as we respect them,” says foreign minister. Leer más
Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno revealed on Tuesday that Argentina is keeping a close eye on talks between Chilean and Malvinas (Falkland) Island businesspeople. However, Quirno expressed trust in Santiago to uphold previous commitments and refrain from providing logistical support for the exploitation of natural resources in the archipelago. Quirno emphasized that Argentina and Chile have existing agreements, and both nations expect Chile to honor these treaties, as Argentina also respects them.
A business forum involving Malvinas island entrepreneurs commenced in Punta Arenas, a city in southern Chile, on Monday. The primary objective is to revive a maritime route connecting the Chilean city with the islands, which are under British control. Argentina asserts sovereignty over the Malvinas and aims to dissuade neighboring countries from extending logistical support for natural resource extraction in the archipelago, especially the Sea Lion oil project.
The project, jointly developed by Britain's Rockhopper and Israel's Navitas, is anticipated to commence oil production in 2028 near the islands.
Quirno made these remarks following a recent meeting between Chilean President José Antonio Kast and Argentine President Javier Milei, where Kast reiterated his backing for his neighbor's "legitimate sovereignty rights." Quirno asserted that Argentina has no reason to question the commitments made by its government, as evidenced by the new maritime route between Punta Arenas and the Malvinas, which is set to commence operations between November and December.
The route will primarily facilitate the transportation of construction materials and food to the islands, home to a population of 3,600. Notably, this route is not linked to the Sea Lion project.
Argentina's claim over the Falklands holds significant importance to its national identity. Following a 1982 war with Britain, Argentina was defeated in its attempt to reclaim the islands. On Monday, Milei challenged London to halt resource exploitation in the Malvinas, warning that Argentina would pursue international arbitration otherwise.
Quirno told Infobae that the ultimate goal is to prevent the exploration of non-renewable resources in the Malvinas while the underlying dispute remains unresolved. Additionally, Milei submitted a bill to Congress that would tighten sanctions against the exploitation of natural resources on the islands, and an Argentine judge ordered the suspension of the Sea Lion project following a request by war veterans and environmental lawyers.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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