As a Malvinas assembly member visited Canada to promote self-determination, UK businesses scouted out new investment opportunities to capitalize on a “new era in relations” with Argentina.
The Malvinas islands, also known as the Falklands, have been held by the United Kingdom since the 19th century despite calls from numerous quarters for the land to be returned to Argentina or for it to win self-determination.
Malvinas assembly member Mike Summers returned last week from a trip to Canada, where he was “very happy” with the government’s position to keep promoting its right to self-determination. He also visited Miami to meet with Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and Senator Marco Rubio, who heads a subcommittee on foreign relations with the Western Hemisphere.
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The same week, British Trade and Investment Minister Lord Mark Ian Price visited Buenos Aires with a team of investors. Meeting at the stock exchange, Lord Price reaffirmed his support for the E.U.-Mercosur free trade agreement and applauded President Mauricio Macri’s financial reforms.
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“We're at the start of a new era in the relations between our two countries,” said Lord Price. “I've come to Argentina because I believe there is an opportunity to transform those common interests into concrete business interests.”
Macri declined to negotiate the status of the Malvinas when he met with UK Prime Minister David Cameron in January, but instead promised renewed commercial relations.
After a visit to the islands in February, UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon committed to pumping US$260 million into modernizing military infrastructure. The Malvinas remain the largest military base in the southern hemisphere and the most militarized area in the world, with 2,000 NATO troops to its 3,000 inhabitants.