Navy confident of defences in Falklands row

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said he was comfortable with the level of defences after Cristina Fernandez, Argentina's president, told a regional summit her country still had sovereignty over the islands.

There are currently 1,000 troops stationed there as well as a number of RAF aircraft.

His comments came after Britain's decision to start exploratory drilling for oil off the islands sparked protests from Argentina at the United Nations in New York.

British Ministers have said the Government would take "whatever steps are necessary" to protect the islanders, who had a "legitimate right" to develop an oil industry within their waters.

Sir Mark said: "I am comfortable, in terms of the defence of the Falkland Islands, that we have taken this seriously," he said following a speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"It is a question of matching the forces that we have with the threat that is there. Since 1982 we have built a massive great runway, we have placed forces on the ground, we have sophisticated early warning systems.

"It is a completely different package."

Latin American and Caribbean nations backed Argentina's claim of sovereignty to the islands as the dispute gathered pace.

At the Rio Group summit of 32 countries hosted by Mexico, Argentina presented a statement quoting Mexican President Felipe Calderon as saying that "the heads of state represented here reaffirm their support for the legitimate rights of the republic of Argentina in the sovereignty dispute with Great Britain".

President Fernandez ruled out any plans to try to keep the British boats or rigs out.

"We do not believe in methods like blockades," she told reporters.

But in a statement to regional leaders in Cancun, Mexico she reiterated Argentina's claim to the islands and blamed the Foreign Office for fanning tensions.

An English translation of her speech was posted on the official website of Argentina's presidency.

In it, Ms Fernandez criticised the Foreign Office.

"When in these last few days England decided to install an oil rig offshore and Argentina – in exercise of its domestic law – made decisions as a Sovereign State, the Foreign Office floated the idea of a potential war threat by Argentina. I would say that is ridiculous, cynical because few countries have shown more signs of peaceful intentions than Argentina after the advent of democracy."

She said diplomatic efforts to establish sovereignty would continue, saying: "Argentina will insist on its democratic vocation of fully respecting international law in its claim and shall adopt, within the framework of its domestic law, all provisions and resolutions that tend to reassert our sovereignty over the Southern Archipelagos. This is no whim of this President or of previous presidents but a requirement of our National Constitution.

She said diplomatic efforts to establish sovereignty would continue.

Argentina claims the Falklands – known as Las Malvinas in Buenos Aires –are occupied by Britain illegally.

Argentina invaded the Falklands in 1982, before a UK taskforce made up of some 100 ships seized them back in a war which claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen and women and more than 600 Argentinians.