UK Battles EU Endorsement of Islas Malvinas
The EU recently supported a declaration referring to The Falkland Islands as ‘Islas Malvinas’, at a summit of EU, Latin America and Caribbean leaders last week.
The UK immediately asked the bloc to clarify its position when using the Argentine name for the disputed territory, and asked the EU to reverse the decision. However, the request fell on deaf ears.
The declaration was agreed by 27 member states and EU officials would not make a subsequent statement on behalf of all members, adding that the UK is not part of the EU.
An EU spokesperson commented that “The declaration was agreed by 27 member states. The UK is not part of the EU. They are upset by the use of the word Malvinas. If they were in the EU perhaps they would have pushed back against it,” before adding that “the Argentines have spun it in a certain way”.
Argentine foreign minister Santiago Cafiero said that “off the back of this declaration the Argentine government hopes to further expand dialogue with the EU regarding the question of the Malvinas Islands”.
In 1982, a ten-week undeclared war was fought over the territory between Argentina and the UK.
