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Argentine President Javier Milei has strongly protested the United Kingdom’s oil exploration and production activities near the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. The Argentine leader has demanded that London halt the Sea Lion project within two weeks.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing foreign media.
Milei said on social media that, if the ultimatum is not met, he had formally instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the state’s legal teams to begin international arbitration proceedings against the United Kingdom.
The Argentine president said the country’s natural resources were being “illegally plundered” through the Sea Lion project. He stressed that, unless the alleged illegal exploitation activities were halted, the matter would be referred to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, based in Hamburg, Germany.
The move has further intensified the decades-long territorial dispute and tensions between the two countries over sovereignty of the islands.
The Sea Lion field, located about 209 kilometers from the Falkland Islands, is estimated to contain 1.7 billion barrels of oil. The United Kingdom’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum are expected to begin production at the field within the next two years.
Following Milei’s strong statement, British Defense Minister Wes Streeting responded by recalling that Argentina did not have the capability to seize the Falkland Islands by military force.
After the Argentine military entered the islands in 1982, the two countries fought a 74-day war. The conflict killed 649 Argentine and 255 British service members, as well as three civilians. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8% of residents voted to remain under British administration. The sovereignty dispute remains unresolved, while the United Kingdom continues to administer the islands.
