Argentina summons ambassadors of Britain and Israel over Falkland oil production

Argentina's foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors of Britain and Israel to hand them a note of protest over a project to develop the Sea Lion oil field in the Falklands Basin (Argentinian place name for the Malvinas Islands), which Buenos Aires considers its own. This department reported in the social network X.

The diplomatic dispute between Argentina and Britain over sovereignty over the Falkland Islands escalated on September 15 after the British government published recommendations for companies and individuals interested in investing in the archipelago. The document also applies to the extraction of natural resources on the islands and argues that Buenos Aires does not have the authority to impose sanctions against operators involved in the area.

Argentina’s Foreign Ministry has expressed disagreement with the document and called Britain’s activities in South Georgia and the Malvinas and South Sandwich Islands illegal. The office confirmed the claims to the archipelago, stressing that it is part of the Argentine national territory, writes the newspaper El Diario de La Pampa.

Argentina's federal prosecutor Carlos Stornelli also indicted the management and shareholders of Britain's Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum, which produce oil in the Falklands Basin under a British license. He pointed out that the activities of the companies are associated with negative environmental impact and money laundering, and asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina to ask the UK for financial statements and information about the management of oil companies.

The Falkland Islands are located in the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean, near Argentina. The territory was ceded to London after the 1982 war, but Buenos Aires disputes this decision.