Leaders in confrontation over Falklands at G20

Prime Minister David Cameron confronted Argentina’s president over the Falklands yesterday, as the two met on the margins of the G20 summit in Mexico.

Confusion over the encounter, however, led to reports he had refused to accept from her a bundle of documents, in an envelope labelled “UN-Malvinas”, which led to angry accusations from Argentine officials, and an impromptu Press conference called by the country’s foreign minister, Hector Timerman.

A Downing Street official later said: “President Kirchner didn’t actually try to hand the Prime Minister any document. If they do want to give us a letter, then it’s easy enough to find the UK del-

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egation office at the G20. But we don’t need an envelope from Kirchner to know what the UN resolutions say. There have only been two binding resolutions, both in 1982, both of which Argentina ignored. All the UN resolutions do refer to the UN charter, which enshrines the principle of self-determination and that is what we are asking the Argentines to respect.”

Mr Cameron said: “I wanted to make absolutely clear here at the G20 to the Argentine president that the people of the Falkland Islands have decided to hold a referendum about their future. And if she believes in democracy, if she believes in self-determination, she will respect the outcome of that referendum.”

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