Argentina has pledged to achieve “full sovereignty“ over the Falkland Islands after Britain handed over control of the remote Chagos archipelago to Mauritius in exchange for keeping a strategically important military base there, PA Media/DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Argentina's Foreign Minister, Diana Mondino, welcomed the British government's decision on Tuesday and promised “firm action“ to hand over the Falklands — a British-controlled archipelago off South America that Argentina calls the Malvinas Islands and claims.
In comments likely to intensify criticism in London from the opposition Conservative Party of the British-Mauritian agreement and its alleged impact on other overseas territories, Mondino said that “the long-standing dispute between Britain and Mauritius was resolved today, with Mauritius successfully reclaiming the Chagos territory“.
“Following the path we have already taken, with decisive action, not empty rhetoric, we will regain full sovereignty over our Malvinas Islands. The Malvinas were, are and always will be Argentine,” she said.
In a statement earlier yesterday, the Falklands Governor, Alison Blake, reassured locals that Britain’s commitment to the South Atlantic islands was “unwavering.”
She pointed out that the historical contexts of the two territories were “very different.”
The British government announced yesterday that it had reached a political agreement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands following negotiations that began in 2022.
Mauritius gains sovereignty over the islands, while the joint US-UK military base will remain on Diego Garcia, the largest of the archipelago.
The British Foreign Office said the agreement ensures that the status of the base will be indisputable and legally secured.
The reaction to the agreement was mixed. Some welcomed the end of a long-running dispute over Britain's last African colony, while others, including the Conservative Party leadership contenders, said the deal would undermine national security.
The Diego Garcia military base agreement is for 99 years with the option of renewal, with Britain paying a fixed amount of money annually.
The UK's overseas territories minister, Stephen Doughty, declined to say how much the deal would cost British taxpayers, saying details were yet to be announced.