Ibero-American foreign ministers unanimously back Argentina’s Falklands claim
Ibero-American foreign ministers meeting in Madrid unanimously approved a special communiqué backing Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falklands and calling on Argentina and the United Kingdom to resume negotiations, on the eve of the Hamburg hearing on the Sea Lion oil project.
Foreign ministers from Ibero-America, including Spain, Portugal and Andorra, unanimously backed Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands during the 30th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government. The Ibero-American Conference stated its support for the Argentine Republic, calling the issue a "sacred cause for Argentines" and advocating for the resumption of negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom as soon as possible.
The statement comes on the eve of the Hamburg hearing on the Sea Lion oil project, which Argentina requested to be halted by four provisional measures on October 13. The tribunal, held in Hamburg on November 10 and 11, will hear Argentina's case regarding the rights to maritime resources and environmental obligations under the Law of the Sea Convention. Argentina is not seeking a ruling on sovereignty but on resource rights and environmental responsibilities.
The Ibero-American foreign ministers emphasized the importance of diplomatic resolution to the dispute, on which the United Kingdom maintains that it will not negotiate sovereignty unless the islanders desire it. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has condemned Argentine attempts to interfere with commercial activity in the area as "unacceptable".
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