UK ‘resolutely committed’ to its overseas territories, says Minister
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Stephen Doughty's comments follow Argentina's pledge to pursue "full sovereignty" over the Falkland Islands.
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Minister of State for Europe, North America, and Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty. (ScreenGrab/BBC)
The UK is “firmly committed” to its overseas territories, the UK's minister of state for Europe, North America and overseas territories said, following Argentina's pledge to seek “full sovereignty” over the Falkland Islands.
Stephen Doughty emphasized on Saturday that the sovereignty of these territories is “not negotiable.”
On Friday, Keir Starmer defended the UK's decision to cede control of the Chagos Islands, asserting that the agreement with Mauritius regarding the remote archipelago would secure the “single most important thing”: the long-term future of the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the group.
Doughty wrote on X: “British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, or any of our Overseas Territories is not negotiable.”
British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar or any other of our Overseas Territories is not up for negotiation.
— Stephen Doughty MP (@SDoughtyMP) October 5, 2024
The Chagos Islands are a very different issue with a very different history.
The UK remains resolutely committed to all our Overseas Territories. 🇬🇧
“The Chagos Islands are a very different issue with a very different history. The UK remains resolutely committed to all our Overseas Territories.”
The Armed Forces Minister, Luke Pollard, added on X, “UK Armed Forces support our Overseas Territories, protect sovereignty and operational capabilities and our commitment to them remains unwavering and resolute.”
UK Armed Forces support our Overseas Territories, protect sovereignty and operational capabilities and our commitment to them remains unwavering and resolute. 🇬🇧 https://t.co/LRoX55lzEw
— Luke Pollard MP (@LukePollard) October 5, 2024
Meanwhile, Argentina’s Foreign Minister, Diana Mondino, pledged “concrete action” to guarantee that the Falklands, the British-controlled archipelago known as the Malvinas and claimed by Argentina, are returned to Buenos Aires.
She said, “Following the path we have already taken, with concrete actions and not empty rhetoric, we will recover full sovereignty over our Malvinas Islands.”
The governor of the Falklands, Alison Blake, has already reached out to residents to assure them that the UK's commitment to the territory is “unwavering.”
