The United Kingdom has pushed back on a claim by President Javier Milei stating that Argentina is in negotiations with London to lift a weapons ban that has been in place since the Malvinas (Falklands) War over 40 years ago.
In an interview with British newspaper The Daily Telegraph newspaper published on Thursday, Milei said the government has begun speaking to Downing Street about the arms export restrictions.
He suggested those talks had been delegated to the Defence Ministry.
But a British Foreign Office spokesperson denied those claims in a statement, saying: "There are no specific talks with Argentina about the UK relaxing its arms export controls.”
The Islas Malvinas, known as the Falkland Islands in the UK, is a self-governing British overseas territory. Home to just over 3,000 people, it lies nearly 13,000 kilometres (8,000 miles) from London and just 480 kilometres from the coast of Argentina.
Then-UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher sent a military taskforce to reclaim the islands in 1982 after Argentina, then led by a brutal military dictatorship, sent troops to invade and assert its sovereignty claim.
A total of 649 Argentines, 255 Britons and three islanders were killed in 74 days of fighting.
Since then, Britain has a policy of continuing "to refuse licences for export and trade of goods judged to enhance Argentine military capability," according to the UK government's website.
Asked if negotiations to allow the sale of weapons with British components to Argentina had begun, Milei told the Telegraph in his interview: "Absolutely."
“There are no world powers without military power,” he told the right-wing newspaper. “There is no country that counts in the international context if they can’t defend their borders.”
The Telegraph said the talks were being propelled by a “lobbying effort … from Argentina and the US to change the rules.”
A Downing Street spokesperson denied any “specific” talks on the arms embargo are underway.
The British government statement did say that Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour administration was interested in discussions in other areas.
"More broadly, we look forward to deepening our co-operation with Argentina across areas including trade, science and culture to deliver growth for the British people," it said.
Diplomatic sources in Buenos Aires say Milei’s government is also keen to boost trade.
Historic visit on way?
Milei also told the paper he intends to visit Britain, with a trip pencilled in for April or May next year.
The last Argentine president to visit the United Kingdom was Carlos Menem, when he traveled to London in October 1998.
The Telegraph said Milei intends to meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as well opposition leaders, including far-right Reform Party leader Nigel Farage.
Milei, who has previously described Thatcher as one of his political idols, praised Farage’s “vision” and said he would “learn a lot” on a trip to the UK.
The UK PM has also been invited to Buenos Aires for an official visit, he confirmed.
The La Libertad Avanza leader also suggested he wanted to see the Malvias given over to Argentina via diplomatic means.
“Since I consider that the solution is to be sought through peaceful and diplomatic solutions, I think that the best way to show the willingness on the part of Argentina is to show that we also have a commercially adult relationship,” Milei told the Telegraph.
"Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is not up for negotiation and we will defend its right to self-determination," responded the UK government in its statement.
Britain insists it has historically ruled the islands and notes that residents voted 99.8 percent in favour of remaining British in a 2013 referendum.
Argentina has claimed the archipelago, located some 600 kilometres off its coast in the South Atlantic, for nearly 200 years. It says its claim lies in the fact that the United Kingdom "occupied the islands by force in 1833, expelled the original population and did not allow their return, violating Argentina's territorial integrity."
– TIMES/AFP
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