Argentina has accused Prime Minister David Cameron of bad manners after a row over the Falkland Islands broke out at a European Union summit.
Cameron reportedly stepped in to defend Britain's claim on the islands after Argentina's foreign minister Hector Timerman urged the EU to support his country's fight against the "colonialist" British.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Extracting natural resources that belong to the Argentine people is totally illegal," he said. "Colonialism still persists, relying on the logic of appropriation of natural resources."
In a move designed to "delight" voters back home, Timerman told Cameron that the islands belonged to Argentina, reports the Daily Telegraph.
According to Argentine media reports, he said his government expected countries from the EU to support a United States resolution that urges Argentina and the UK to open a dialogue over the disputed territory.
In a heated exchange, Cameron apparently ordered Timerman to stop "threatening" the people of the Falklands and to "respect" the referendum in which islanders overwhelmingly voted to remain a British Overseas Territory.
Later, Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner described the Prime Minister's response as "irate, almost ill-mannered".
A spokesman for Cameron defended his intervention as "clear and robust".
He added: "It is completely unacceptable of Argentina to be threatening companies looking to invest in the Falkland Islands or in the waters surrounding there."
No direct mention was made of the 1982 war, in which 659 Argentinians and 258 Britons died after Buenos Aires invaded the islands.
-
October 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being releasedThe Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU partySpeed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
On VE Day, is Europe alone once again?Today's Big Question Donald Trump's rebranding of commemoration as 'Victory Day for World War Two' underlines breakdown of post-war transatlantic alliance
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
