Prime Minister’s Annual Message December 2018

Prime Minister Theresa May sends a firm commitment to sovereignty to the people of the Falkland Islands in her annual Christmas message to the Falkland Islands (see link to full message below)Whilst noting the warmer relations between the UK and Argentine Government under President Macri, the Prime Minister said: “But whilst the relations between our Governments is changing, I can assure you that one thing will never change: our absolute commitment to the people and sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. It is not up for debate. As long as you desire the right to be part of the United Kingdom family, we will defend that right – and a valued part of our family is what you will remain.”

The key points in the Prime minister’s message included the following:

a) she welcomed the agreement for a new airline to Brazil with a monthly stopover in Cordoba, Argentina (once in each direction), similar to the monthly stopover in Rio Gallegos operated by the LATAM flight to the Falkland Islands from Punta Arenas, Chile.

b) she noted that talks on fisheries conservation had resumed after a break of 14 years.

c) she welcomed the respect shown by Falkland Islanders to the Argentine next of kin during the visit by some 200 Argentine relatives during the visit in March 2018 to the cemetery near Darwin as part of the ongoing efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to identify through DNA testing the remains of unidentifiable Argentine soldiers who died in the Falklands conflict in 1982.

d) she also noted the continued progress in clearing the minefields laid by the Argentine military during their occupation of the Islands. More than 8,000 mines have so far been cleared by the UK Government under its treaty obligations.The full text of the Prime Minister’s message can be accessed by following this link:

Prime Minister’s 2018 Christmas message to the Falkland Islands