Argentina on Wednesday night intensified its diplomatic offensive against Britain’s oil exploration off the Falkland Islands by taking the case to the UN.
Argentinian Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana was due to spell out Buenos Aires’ demands in a meeting in New York with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon just a day after mobilizing Latin American and Caribbean support.
Taiana was expected to press Argentina’s claim of sovereignty over the islands and to demand an immediate cessation of the British drilling for oil and gas that started this week.
He was due to detail “the latest illegitimate and unilateral actions by the UK,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on the eve of the meeting.
The next step would be to table a resolution at the UN general assembly.
The UN has called for talks between Britain and Argentina, but has little power to intervene without the backing of the security council, where the UK would be able to veto substantive resolutions.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva added pressure by saying the council was an anachronism tilted in favor of Western powers.
He said: “It is not possible that Argentina is not the owner while England is, despite being 14,000km away.”
He also repeated long-standing complaints that Brazil and other emerging powers should be included as permanent members of the security council.
British officials have privately admitted frustration, but no great surprise, that mainstream Latin leaders have thrown their weight behind Buenos Aires. A spokesman at the British prime minister’s office said drilling would continue.
“It is entirely for the Argentinians if they want to go to the UN,” said Simon Lewis, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. “We continue to support the right of the Falkland Islands to develop their hydrocarbon sector. Our view is their commercial activity is entirely compatible with good relations with the government of Argentina.”
US President Barack Obama’s administration, which wants to improve US ties with Latin America without alienating Britain, sought to distance itself from the row.
“I think we are neutral on the question of sovereignty,” said Philip Crowley, a spokesman for the US State Department.
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