Argentina ends the deal with UK on flights to Falkland Islands
On Tuesday (7th), the Argentine government announced that it had revoked the UK’s license to operate flights from São Paulo (Brazil) to the disputed Falkland Islands with a stopover in the Argentine city of Córdoba.
“This decision was taken after numerous initiatives to improve connections between mainland Argentina and the Falkland Islands were presented to the United Kingdom,” Argentina’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Argentine authorities have accused the UK government of preventing “any real and concrete progress towards enabling a direct flight” from mainland Argentina to the islands.
However, Buenos Aires has reiterated its willingness to resume negotiations on the islands’ sovereignty while pushing for an agenda that includes better connectivity between the islands and the mainland.
Indeed, Argentina’s executive withdrew last week from the “Foradori-Duncan Pact” agreement signed with the United Kingdom in 2016, intending to promote economic development and exploitation of the Falkland Islands and surrounding territories.
The dispute over the archipelago’s sovereignty dates back to the 19th century, leading to an outright war between the two countries in 1982.
Buenos Aires has traditionally opposed any gesture towards London, so the 2016 pact was viewed with particular suspicion, especially by the political left.
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