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News > Latin America

Argentine Ambassador: Jeremy Corbyn 'One of Ours'

  • Argentine Falklands War veterans Hugo Romero (R) and Walter Sarverry walk next to a ''Welcome to the Falkland Islands'' sign in Port Stanley, March 14, 2012.

    Argentine Falklands War veterans Hugo Romero (R) and Walter Sarverry walk next to a ''Welcome to the Falkland Islands'' sign in Port Stanley, March 14, 2012. | Photo: Reuters

Published 24 January 2016
Opinion

Corbyn's latest comments on the Malvinas Islands come days after Prime Minister David Cameron told President Macri that the disputed territory will remain in British hands.

The Argentine ambassador for the United Kingdom heaped praise on British Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, after a meeting in London where he said he wanted a deal which would allow the two countries to govern over the disputed Malvinas Islands together.

Corbyn visited Argentina's Embassy in London last week where he told diplomats that​ he would like to usher a power-sharing deal, similar to the agreement the U.K. has with Northern Ireland, according to a report published on the embassy's website Friday.

Alicia Castro, who will soon vacate her post as ambassador, said Corbyn "shares our concerns" and "in short, he is one of ours."

"He is saying that dialogue is possible and that attitudes are beginning to change, that what was achieved in Northern Ireland can be achieved also here," she said.

"His decisive leadership can guide the British public opinion to promote dialogue between the governments of the United Kingdom and Argentina."

RELATED: UK Will Keep Control of Malvinas Islands

Although still part of the U.K., Northern Ireland holds responsibility for a range of policy matters and is able to make its own laws on health and social services and education, among other issues. However, some powers are still reserved for the British government such as tax and social security.

The opposition leader sparked controversy in the U.K. when in a televised BBC interview he said the United Kingdom should seek a negotiated solution to its decades-old territorial dispute with Argentina.

“It seems to me ridiculous that in the 21st century we'd be getting into some enormous conflict with Argentina about the islands just off (its coast),” the experienced politician told the Andrew Marr show.

He also said the island's inhabitants should have an “enormous” say in any discussions on their future. Just over 99 percent of the islanders voted to remain under British control in a 2013 referendum which Ambassador Castro described as “little more than a public relations exercise.”

“This referendum has no legal grounds. It's not approved, nor will it be recognized by the United Nations or the international community,” she said a few days before the vote in 2013.

Corbyn's latest comments on the future sovereignty of the South Pacific islands, often referred to as the Falkland Islands, are at odds with the position of British Prime Minister David Cameron. The British leader told Argentine President Mauricio Macri Thursday that the Malvinas Islands will remain in British hands.

The Malvinas Islands, located 480 kilometers off Argentina’s southeast coast, have been held by the United Kingdom since the 19th century despite calls from numerous quarters for the land to be returned to Argentina.

WATCH: Argentina: Malvina Sovereignty No Longer Central Issue with UK

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