Argentina's government claimed the ship, the Thor Leader, was loaded with pipes bound for the Falklands and accused Britain of "illegally promoting" drilling operations. Geologists estimate there are up to 60 billions of barrels of oil in the seabed near the Falklands and a British company, Desire Petroleum, is due to begin drilling 100 miles north of the islands before the end of the month. A £20 million offshore oil rig, the Ocean Guardian, is expected to arrive next week. Argentina, which still claims sovereignty over the islands, is objecting to the drilling and says it will take its case to the United Nations. The Thor Leader, a foreign-flagged vessel, was carrying pipes made by the Techint group in Argentina and was stopped in the southern port of Campana. Techint, the world's biggest producer of seamless steel tubing for the oil industry, denied that the equipment was even bound for the Falklands and said it was going to clients in the Mediterranean. But Jorge Taiana, the Argentine Foreign Minister, said: "Evidence exists that indicates that the freighter was to be used to supply material linked to oil industry activities that the United Kingdom is illegally promoting in the Malvinas Islands. "The Argentine government has energetically protested to the United Kingdom over each and every one of the British unilateral actions with which it has tried to explore or exploit natural resources in an area that is the subject of a dispute over sovereignty." He said Argentina's claim to the islands remained "firm and permanent" and it would "take all necessary measures in the legal and diplomatic framework to preserver our rights and our resources." Fabiana Rios, the governor of Tierra del Fuego province, claimed: "Great Britain is violating Argentine sovereignty." The Foreign Office declined to comment on the latest claims from Argentina. It was the latest in a series of diplomatic spats over the licensing of private companies to drill for oil and gas in Falklands waters. Last week the Argentine foreign minister summoned the charges d'affaires from the British embassy to receive a "most forceful protest." Before that Argentina's senior diplomat in Britain, Javier Pedrazzini, was hauled into the Foreign Office in London for a dressing down after Buenos Aires passed a law claiming sovereignty over the Falklands. Mr Pedrazzini was given a "note verbale" – a firm rejection of the claim – to take back to Buenos Aires. Argentina invaded the South Atlantic islands in April 1982 only to be defeated and expelled by a British naval force. The conflict lasted 74 days and cost the lives 255 British soldiers, and 649 Argentine soldiers. Since 1993, the population of over 3,000 people on the self-governing overseas territory have all been legal British citizens. In a New Year's message to Falkland Islands residents, Gordon Brown said he had made clear to Argentine president Cristina Kirchner that there were "no doubts" about sovereignty. He said: "There can be and there will be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the islands unless and until such time as you wish."British oil dispute with Argentina escalates
A row between Britain and Argentina over oil exploration off the Falkland Islands is threatening to escalate into a major diplomatic row after a ship carrying drilling equipment was blocked from leaving an Argentine port.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
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