There were calls in Britain today for Argentina’s ambassador to be given a dressing-down after the country’s president issued a decree seeking to control shipping to and from the Falkland Islands.
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said that all ships must get prior permission before entering Argentine waters, which Buenos Aires regards as covering the entire South Atlantic continental shelf.
The Foreign Office today shrugged off the demand, insisting that the seas around the Falklands are controlled by island authorities and would not be affected by the decree.
“Regulations governing Argentine territorial waters are a matter for the Argentine authorities,” said a Foreign Office spokesman. “This does not affect Falkland Islands territorial waters which are controlled by the island authorities.”
Argentina said yesterday boats sailing from its ports to the British-ruled Falkland Islands will need a government permit, deepening a row over oil exploration in the disputed archipelago. Argentina will also demand permits for ships headed to the uninhabited South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, over which the South American country also claims sovereignty.
Argentina protested to Britain earlier this month over plans to begin offshore exploration drilling near the remote Falklands, which are called the Islas Malvinas in Spanish. The nations fought a short war over the islands in 1982.
Nearly three decades after the Falklands War that killed almost 1,000 people, tensions over the islands simmer and the start of oil exploration has raised the stakes in the sovereignty dispute.
Geologists think the area around the Falklands could hold rich energy reserves, although drilling in the North Falkland Basin in 1998 did not lead to investment in exploitation.
Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd said on Monday it had agreed with Desire Petroleum to contract a rig to drill the first ever well in the East Falklands Basin. The company said it expected the drilling to start within the first half of the year
Argentine officials blocked the loading of steel tubes onto a ship last week, saying the vessel had operated in the Falkland Islands and that there was evidence it had carried materials for use in the energy industry to the islands.
Argentina's government said in 2007 it would impose sanctions on companies linked to the industry in the disputed territory.
Agencies