A South American trading
bloc has announced a ban on Falkland Islands flagged vessels, as Argentinean
president Cristina Kirchner accused Britain of taking national resources and
ignoring UN resolutions, reports the London Guardian.
The Mercosur trading bloc is
made up of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil, and now joins in President
Kirchner's protest over Britain's oil and gas exploration, particularly after a
UK company struck oil last year.
The British Foreign Office
condemned the Mercosur declaration, under which it vows to "adopt all
measures possible to impede the entry of boats flying the illegal flag of the
Malvinas [Falkland] Islands".
Said the Foreign office:
"It is not immediately clear what practical impact, if any, this statement
will have, which mirrors the language already used by the Union of South
American Nations in 2010. We are discussing this urgently with countries in the
region. But no one should doubt our determination to protect the Falkland
Islanders' right to determine their own political future."
President Kirchner thanked
her allies for their solidarity, but refrained from calling for the islands to
be declared Argentinean.
"We are not asking them
to come here and recognise that the Malvinas are Argentinean, but what we are
saying is for them to comply with the UN, sit down and talk, talk, talk,"
she said.
Falklands Chamber of
Commerce president Roger Spink said the community already felt isolated.
"If we were Palestine, the European Union would be up in arms," he
told the BBC.
British Prime Minister David
Cameron affirmed commitment in his Christmas message to islanders, promising
Britain would never surrender sovereignty without their consent.
"Your right to
self-determination is the cornerstone of our policy. We will never negotiate on
the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless you, the Falkland islanders, so
wish. No democracy could ever do otherwise," Mr Cameron said.
Source : HKSG, 29.12.11.
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