Argentina moves to stop first commercial oil project on disputed Falkland Islands, escalating row with UK
Argentina on Tuesday said it has approached an international maritime tribunal seeking to halt an oil development project off the disputed Falkland Islands, escalating its dispute with the United Kingdom, which controls the archipelago. According to the office of President Javier Milei, Agrentina has filed a request for provisional measures with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, Germany, seeking to stop the development of Sea Lion, a $2.2-billion Israeli-British oil project north of the Falkland Islands, to “preserve Argentina’s sovereign rights.”Responding to Argentina’s move, the UK accused Buenos Aires of taking “measures beyond its jurisdiction” and engaging in “economic coercion”.“The Sea Lion field lies on the Falkland Islands’ continental shelf. The project is lawful and regulated by the democratically elected Falkland Islands government. Argentina has no jurisdiction over it,” UK Foreign Minister Uma Kumaran told the House of Commons on Tuesday.“Let me be absolutely clear: This government will not stand by while Argentina uses economic coercion against the people of the Falkland Islands. We will do whatever it takes to support them,” Kumaran added.
The Sea Lion project
The Sea Lion project is an offshore oilfield located about 220 kilometres (140 miles) north of the Falkland Islands and will be its first commercial oil venture. After years of delays and disruptions, its developers, Israel’s Navitas Petroleum and Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration, expect production to begin in 2028.In recent weeks, Milei has intensified Argentina’s claim to the Falklands, describing the islands’ nascent oil industry as a “threat” to the country’s sovereignty and an attempt to “steal” its natural resources.Milei has initiated criminal proceedings against executives and shareholders involved in the Sea Lion project and proposed legislation to strengthen and expand sanctions against companies and suppliers “exploiting” the Falklands’ resources without Argentine authorisation. Analysts say Milei is invoking a cause that enjoys broad political support to shore up his popularity as the economy falters ahead of next year’s presidential election.Britain, meanwhile, has defended the islanders’ right to develop their natural resources and pledged support for companies operating in the territory.The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent international court established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to resolve disputes over maritime rights. Its rulings are legally binding, but the tribunal has no means of enforcing them if a country refuses to comply.
The Falklands dispute
The Falkland Islands remain a longstanding national cause in Argentina, where they are known as the Malvinas. Buenos Aires maintains that the UK has “illegally” occupied the islands since 1833, a claim rejected by London, which cites the islanders’ wish to remain a British Overseas Territory.In 1982, Argentina’s military dictatorship invaded the archipelago in an attempt to seize it from the UK, triggering a 10-week war that ended in Argentina’s surrender. The conflict left 649 Argentine troops, 255 British personnel and three islanders dead.After defeating England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final in July, Argentine players displayed a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Falkland Islands are Argentine”), reiterating the country’s longstanding claim to the disputed archipelago.(With AP inputs)
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