ARGENTINA is looking to make a renewed bid to gain control of the Falkland Islands, as Britain pushes forward with its Brexit plans.
By Jon Rogers
PUBLISHED: 14:43, Thu, Mar 30, 2017 | UPDATED: 15:39, Thu, Mar 30, 2017
While the islanders have remained staunchly in favour of remaining British, they did not back Brexit in last June’s referendum.
The European Union (EU) is the main destination for the archipelago’s exports, mostly fish, which are worth about £178million a year.
An estimated 70 per cent of the Falklands’ GDP is believed to rely on access to the EU market.
Argentina’s former ambassador to Britain and a member of the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI) Vicente Berasategui said: “The islanders lose the freedom to export to the European Union with no tariffs or quotas. The impact on trade could be important.”
In the past the countries in the EU have backed Britain’s right to sovereignty of the islands but that support could weaken after Brexit.
Mr Berasategui said: “European countries have so far backed Britain’s position [as sovereign power in the Falklands] because the islands are recognised as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the treaties of the European Union, but they also do not want to create problems in relations with Argentina.
“They will see that they no longer need to show that level of commitment, and that will have consequences.”
Prime Minister Theresa May has previously stated that she will seek to get the best possible access to EU markets despite leaving the bloc.
Falklands legislator Michael Poole said that London is working to “ensure that the outcomes from the Brexit process protect our interests.”
He added: “Our main goal is to see continued quota-free and tariff-free trade with the EU-27 countries.
More:
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/785860/Falkland-Islands-threat-Argentina-EU-Brexit-bidArgies are getting proddy again.
