In response to the illegitimate actions taken by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding maritime areas, the President has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and government legal teams to initiate the arbitration proceedings provided for in Annex VII of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The aim is to prevent the illegitimate exploitation of hydrocarbon resources in the North Malvinas Basin—specifically through the "Sea Lion" project—as well as to halt the adoption of any other measures likely to aggravate the situation, particularly the granting of new permits for the exploitation of natural resources located on the Argentine Continental Shelf.
Through Resolution 2065 (XX), the United Nations General Assembly recognized the existence of a sovereignty dispute between the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding maritime areas, and urged both governments to find a peaceful solution to the controversy through negotiations.
Furthermore, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 31/49 expressly urged both countries to refrain from adopting decisions that would entail unilateral changes to the situation while the process recommended by the General Assembly remains ongoing.
The unilateral exploitation of natural resources in the Malvinas, South Georgia, and South Sandwich Islands and their surrounding maritime areas is contrary to international law and causes irreversible and irreparable harm to the sovereign rights of the Argentine Republic. In this context, the Argentine Republic has formally called upon the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take the necessary measures within two weeks to prevent the commencement or continuation of activities aimed at exploiting hydrocarbon resources on the Argentine Continental Shelf. Should the United Kingdom fail to comply with this request within the specified timeframe, the Argentine Republic will petition the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the provisional measures necessary to preserve its sovereign rights over its Continental Shelf.
Furthermore, the Argentine Republic categorically rejects the United Kingdom's response to the statement made by the President of the Nation, Javier G. Milei, before the United Nations General Assembly. The UK's designation of the Malvinas Islands as a "British Overseas Territory" and the unilateral referendum held in 2013—which lacks international recognition—do not alter the existence or the subject matter of the sovereignty dispute recognized by the United Nations.
Finally, it is reported that, following the detection of operations carried out by the company THALES UK LIMITED on the Malvinas Islands–Punta Arenas air route—using an aircraft registered in the United Kingdom without authorization from Argentine authorities—the President of the Nation has ordered government teams to urgently initiate the corresponding sanctioning procedures and criminal complaints, as well as the pertinent diplomatic actions.
The Argentine Republic will not stand idly by and will continue to firmly defend its sovereign rights, utilizing all diplomatic, administrative, and legal tools recognized under domestic and international law.
The Malvinas are Argentine.
