News / Argentina

Argentina hails UN decision on territory

Tuesday, 29 March 2016 8:18 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 29 March 2016 8:20 AM ]

Argentinean Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra (photo by AFP)

Argentina hails a UN decision to extend the country’s maritime borders past the Malvinas Islands, known as the Falklands to the British, which are the subject of a long-running dispute with the UK.

Earlier in the month, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf sided with Argentina, ratifying the country’s 2009 report fixing the limit of its territory at 200 to 350 miles from its coast and thus encompassing the Malvinas Islands.

“This is a historic occasion for Argentina because we’ve made a huge leap in the demarcation of the exterior limit of our continental shelf,” Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said on Monday.

“This reaffirms our sovereignty rights over the resources of our continental shelf.”

The commission, however, warned that there was an unresolved diplomatic dispute between Argentina and Britain over the islands.

Located about 300 miles off Argentina’s coast and home to about 3,000 inhabitants, the disputed islands have been declared part of the British Overseas Territories since Britain established its colonial rule on the territories in 1833.

Argentina and Britain fought a 74-day war over the islands in 1982, which ended with the British side claiming victory over Argentina.

Buenos Aires says Britain forcibly stripped Argentina of sovereignty over the islands and has been occupying the territory since then.

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