Rishi Sunak has criticised the European Union’s “regrettable choice of words” after it appeared to have endorsed the name Argentina uses for the Falkland Islands.
A diplomatic row erupted after the EU referred to the islands as “Islas Malvinas” in a declaration jointly signed with Argentina and other Latin American countries.
Downing Street said any suggestion that the EU would recognise Argentina’s claims on the Falklands would have been “entirely unacceptable”, as it welcomed a subsequent clarification that EU countries have not in fact changed their position on their status.
The initial statement, published on Tuesday after a summit between EU nations and the Celac bloc of Latin American and Caribbean states, said: “Regarding the question of sovereignty over the Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands, the European Union took note of Celac’s historical position based on the importance of dialogue and respect for international law in the peaceful solution of disputes.”
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British diplomats reportedly complained about the wording, which Argentina’s president, Alberto Fernandez, appeared to hail on Twitter as support for his country’s long-standing “claim to sovereignty” over the Falklands.
In a statement, EU foreign affairs spokesman, Peter Stano, said: “The EU Member States have not changed their views and positions concerning the Falklands/Islas Malvinas.
“The EU is not in a situation to express any position on the Falklands/Islas Malvinas as there is not any council discussion on this matter.”
Mr Sunak’s official spokesman told reporters on Thursday: “The prime minister’s view is that it would have been entirely unacceptable for the EU to question the Falkland Islanders’ right to decide their own future.
“To be clear, the Falkland Islands are British, that was the choice of the islanders themselves.
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“The EU has rightly now clarified that their position on the Falklands has not changed after their regrettable choice of words.
“And, just as a reminder, in the 2013 referendum, 99.8 per cent of islanders voted to be part of the UK family. It’s a position supported by international law and the UN Charter which is binding on all UN members.
“And we will continue to defend the Falklands’ right to self-determination in all international forums and have called on the EU to respect the democratic rights of the Falkland Islands.”
He added: “The concern is any suggestion that EU states would recognise Argentina’s claims on the Falklands, which they have now clarified is incorrect.”
The islands were the subject of a bloody conflict in 1982 which claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentinian personnel. – PA