Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands leaders accuse Argentina of election-year nationalism

Falkland Islands leaders have accused Argentine officials of stirring up election-year nationalism in recent months.

Legislative Assemblymen Dick Sawle and Roger Edwards blamed politics surrounding Argentina's October 23 presidential election for a recent hardening of the dispute over the British overseas territory.

The row came at the United Nations' annual hearing on the status of Falkland Islands.

"In the months leading up to the Argentine election we can only expect the rhetoric to increase," said Mr Edwards. He and Mr Sawle travelled to the UN for yesterday's hearing.

"We are very keen to talk with them about a wide range of issues - fishing, hydrocarbons - but not sovereignty," Mr Sawle said of Argentine officials.

But Argentine officials say their British counterparts have been the aggressive ones.

Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that the Falkland Islands should remain a British territory and praised the troops who retook the islands from Argentina during the 1982 war.

Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez responded by calling Britain a "crude colonial power in decline".