Argentina monitoring talks between Chilean and Malvinas firms, says Quirno

Argentina is monitoring ongoing negotiations between businesspeople from Chile and Malvinas (Falkland) Islands but trusts that Santiago will honour previous commitments and not provide logistical support for the exploitation of natural resources in the archipelago, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Tuesday.

“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,” Quirno told Radio La Red in an interview.

Businesspeople from the archipelago, located 500 kilometres off Argentina’s mainland coast, have since Monday been taking part in a business forum in the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas.

The idea is to relaunch a maritime route between the Chilean city and the islands, which are controlled by Britain.

Argentina claims sovereignty over the Malvinas and is seeking to prevent neighbouring countries from providing logistical support for the exploitation of natural resources on and around the islands, particularly the 'Sea Lion' oil project. The project, being developed by Britain’s Rockhopper and Israel’s Navitas, is expected to begin producing oil in 2028 in waters near the archipelago.

Quirno was referring to a recent meeting in Santiago between Chilean President José Antonio Kast and President Javier Milei, after which Kast reiterated his support for his neighbour’s “legitimate sovereignty rights."

“We have no reason to doubt the word or the written commitments of our governments,” Quirno said.

The new maritime route between Punta Arenas and the Malvinas is expected to begin operating between November and December.

An official from the archipelago told AFP on Monday that it would be used to transport construction materials and food to the islands, which have a population of 3,600, and that it was unrelated to the Sea Lion project.

The sovereignty claim over the Falklands is central to Argentine national identity. Argentina lost a 1982 war with Britain after attempting to retake the islands.

On Monday, Milei gave London two weeks to halt the exploitation of the islands’ resources, warning that Argentina would otherwise pursue international arbitration.

“What we clearly want to do is prevent the exploration of non-renewable resources in the Malvinas while the underlying issue remains unresolved,” Quirno told Infobae.

Milei has also sent Congress a bill that would toughen sanctions for the exploitation of natural resources on the islands, while an Argentine judge ordered the project to be suspended following a request by war veterans and environmental lawyers.

– TIMES/AFP