Argentina snubs meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague & Falklanders

Argentina's foreign minister has refused a meeting with William Hague and the Falklanders, branding them 'colonists of the Malvinas'

 

Hector Timerman insisted that he would not talk about the issue of the sovereignty of the islanders with Mr Hague in the presence of the Falklanders themselves.

Representatives of the Falklands government are set to fly into London tomorrow to inform Argentina's minister that he, his country and its leader should respect the islanders rights and leave them in peace.

Mr Timerman had initially asked for a one-to-one meeting with the Foreign Secretary but with the addition of the islanders he later cancelled the meeting claiming he would not meet with people involved in the Port Stanley government.

Argentina does not recognise its legitimacy.

Mr Timerman said he was sorry that Mr Hague "can't meet without the supervision of the colonists from the Malvinas".

The Foreign Minister instead invited Mr Hague to meet with him in Buenos Aires, where he said "my fellow foreign ministers can freely meet with whomever they wish without being pressured or having their presence conditioned on meetings that they haven't asked for and don't interest them".

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has in recent years strongly asserted her country's demands for the Falklands to come under its sovereignty despite the opposition of the islanders.

The Falklanders had been looking forward to the meeting, claiming it would give them a chance to "demdand that our rights are respected."

One spokesman said: "We want direct messages on the unnacceptability of Argentina's actiosn against the Falkland Islands in recent years."

Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted that the decision of sovereignty is up to the Falklanders themselves.

By Emily Fox, www.express.co.uk