Argentina slams Britain’s maneuvers off disputed islets

PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — Argentine Defense Minister Arturo Puricelli Monday denounced British military maneuvers near the disputed Malvinas Islands, called the Falklands by the British.

Addressing fellow ministers attending the 10th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas, being held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Puricelli warned that British “military exercises will begin that include the use of missiles, despite the prohibition of not just Argentine maritime space, but the American continent’s.”

Puricelli said he regretted the military moves, especially as member countries of the conference have “agreed to continue developing measures to promote trust and security as a means to contribute to safeguarding the peace.”

Last week, Argentina lodged a formal complaint with the British government against the military exercises, and the British responded by saying they were “routine exercises.”

Due to a lack of consensus, the Malvinas issue was not included in the main agenda of the conference at the resort of Punta del Este, 140 kilometers east of the capital Montevideo.

Last April 2 marked the 30th anniversary of the Malvinas War between Argentina and Britain, a 74-day conflict that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British soldiers.

Argentina has been campaigning to restore its sovereignty over the islands, which the British have occupied since 1833.