OMM Redaksiyası
The Argentine government has demanded that the United Kingdom halt a project to drill oil wells near the disputed Falkland Islands.
Operative Information Center-OMM reported, citing foreign media outlets.
Argentina formally appealed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, demanding that it take the necessary measures within two weeks to prevent the launch or continuation of activities aimed at extracting hydrocarbon resources from Argentina’s continental shelf.
Argentina said that if the United Kingdom fails to comply with the demand within the specified period, the Republic of Argentina will apply to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for necessary provisional measures to protect its sovereign rights over the continental shelf.
In mid-September, Argentine President Javier Milei submitted a bill to parliament proposing tougher sanctions against companies producing oil near the disputed islands. The move followed the decision by Britain’s “Rockhopper Exploration” and Israel’s “Navitas Petroleum” to begin developing the “Sea Lion” oil field.
The Argentine government later announced sanctions against 60 legal entities and individuals involved in hydrocarbon production in the disputed area.
The Falkland Islands comprise two large islands and around 800 smaller ones. Their total area is slightly more than 12,000 square kilometers, and their population is approximately 3,200. The islands have been at the center of a territorial dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom for nearly 200 years.
An armed conflict between the two countries began in April 1982. Argentina lost 649 military personnel in fighting that lasted approximately two and a half months, while British losses stood at 255. In a 2013 referendum, the islanders voted by an overwhelming majority to remain a British overseas territory. Some 99.8% of voters supported that position, while only three voted against it.
