Falkland Islands

Argentina takes Falklands dispute to UN

To Download this program click here

Argentina is to make a formal complaint to the United Nations Security Council after accusing Britain of "militarising" their long dispute over the Falkland Islands.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said the UK's decision to send one of its most modern warships to the South Atlantic and to post the Duke of Cambridge on military duty in the region posed a risk to "international security".

Her announcement comes as tensions continue between London and Buenos Aires in the run-up to the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Falklands war, which saw Argentinian forces invade the archipelago in a row over its sovereignty.

Speaking to an audience including Falkland war veterans and other politicians at Argentina's presidential residence yesterday, Ms Kirchner said: "I have instructed our chancellor to present formally to the Security Council of the United Nations and before the General Assembly of the United Nations this militarisation of the South Atlantic which implies a great risk for international security."

But No 10 said the despatch of destroyer HMS Dauntless to the Falklands to replace the frigate HMS Montrose did not amount to an escalation of military activity.

"We are not militarising the South Atlantic," said a Downing Street spokeswoman.

"Our defensive posture in the Falklands remains the same."

The spokeswoman confirmed that the Government has contingency plans in case of aggressive actions towards the self-governing British overseas territory.

But she stressed that the contingency plans have been in place for some time, and are not a response to the recent spike in tension between London and Buenos Aires as the 30th anniversary of the war for the islands approaches.

The UK government insisted that it would not enter into negotiations over the sovereignty of the disputed islands.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The people of the Falkland Islands are British out of choice. They are free to determine their own future and there will be no negotiations with Argentina over sovereignty unless the islanders wish it."

Last week Prince William began a six-week posting in the Falklands region in his role as an RAF search and rescue pilot.

In her speech, Ms Kirchner said it was difficult to see how "the sending of an immense and modern destroyer accompanied by the Royal heir who we would have liked to see in civilian clothes and not in military uniform" was not a show of purposeful military strength by the UK. She said Argentina would be opposing "this militarisation of the South Atlantic" because it was a region where "peace reigns".

At a NATO conference last week Defence Secretary Philip Hammond re-affirmed the deployments of HMS Dauntless and Prince William were "entirely routine."

Meanwhile the Foreign Secretary has accused Argentina of attempting to "raise the diplomatic temperature" on the Falklands issue.