/ world today news/ “For the first time in many years, the EU mentions the Malvinas Islands.” This was recently stated by an official from Argentina to journalists at the third summit of the leaders of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the EU in Brussels. The summit included the subject of the Malvinas Islands, and both sides agreed to resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue based on respect for international law.
For the first time, the statement of the two regional organizations touched upon the issue of the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands. EU representatives said they took into account CELAC’s historical position on island sovereignty and reaffirmed their commitment to the goals and principles of the UN Charter. Argentina welcomed the statement and considered it an “important political victory”.
The change in the European position on the matter is not surprising.
On the one hand, the international community has actually long since concluded that the Malvinas case is a residual issue from the era of colonialism. As early as 1965, UN Resolution No. 2065 included the issue in the area of ”decolonization” and called on Great Britain and Argentina to resolve their dispute through negotiations. Latin American countries and China have repeatedly expressed their support for Argentina’s claims to sovereignty over the islands and called on the UK to start negotiations as soon as possible. Against this background, the change in the EU’s attitude reflects the respect and protection of the UN resolutions by the international community and the support for Argentina’s legitimate demands to settle the Malvina Islands problem. This is the general trend in the matter.
On the other hand, there are also practical considerations for a change in the EU’s attitude. Holding a CELAC-EU summit eight years after the last such forum is a good chance for Europe to restore its relations with Latin America. Under the influence of the Ukrainian crisis, the EU is facing serious questions in the energy security sector, hoping to strengthen cooperation with Latin America in the field of mineral resources and renewable energy. In order for cooperation to develop, it is very important to clearly state the positions on some historical issues. At this summit, the countries of Latin America expressed their dissatisfaction and demands regarding the issue of colonization. The European Union has finally acknowledged the “unspeakable suffering” caused by the transatlantic slave trade and made progress on its position on the Malvinas – a “living fossil of colonialism”.
Britain cannot pretend not to hear what its European neighbors are saying.
In the face of UN resolutions and increasingly strong calls from the international community, the UK must wake up from its colonial slumber as soon as possible, resume dialogue and negotiations with Argentina and return the Malvinas as soon as possible. After 190 years of illegal occupation by the British, the Malvinas are one step closer to returning home.
#Britain #respond #international #community #Malvinas #issue
