Planned military exercises fracture relations over Falklands

WHILE Britain prepares to do diplomatic battle with Spain over Gibraltar as the Brexit lines are drawn, tensions are mounting in another far flung overseas territory.

Argentina has lodged an official complaint over British plans for military exercises in the Falkland Islands next week, which will include launching Rapier missiles.

Deputy foreign minister Carlos Foradori has asked the British ambassador to cancel the “illegitimate exercises”.

“The behaviour of the United Kingdom contradicts the principle of the peaceful settlement of controversies supported unanimously by countries in the region,” he said.

The UK in turn has described the exercises as “routine” and said they will go ahead as planned from October 19 to 28.

The development comes at relatively tranquil times for the two nations, who find themselves sporadically at loggerheads over the enduring dispute over who should possess sovereignty over the islands.

Relations sunk to a low not seen since the Falklands war under the premiership of Cristina Kirchner but her successor, the pro-business Mauricio Macri, has pledged to pursue a more realistic partnership that would see both countries combine forces to extract natural resources from the territory.