Falklands: Argentina Lodges New Claim At UN

Argentina has renewed its demand for sovereignty over the British-ruled Falkland Islands at the United Nations Security Council.

Speaking at the UN in New York, President Cristina Kirchner said: "This is not a fanciful stance. We simply want the United Nations resolution to be enforced and for our two countries to sit down and discuss this."

Argentina is currently chairing the Security Council, and Ms Kirchner admitted it was controversial to raise the Falklands during a debate ostensibly about the UN's ties with regional bodies.

Britain is a permanent member of the Security Council and its ambassador, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, was in the chamber to hear Ms Kirchner's speech.

She recalled that the UN General Assembly passed a resolution in 1964 urging Britain and Argentina to hold negotiations over sovereignty of the islands, which Britain has ruled since 1833.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon informed Ms Kirchner on Monday that Britain had again refused to discuss the sovereignty issue.

Argentina invaded the islands in April 1982, prompting Britain to send a task force of 100 ships to recapture them.

Ten weeks later the Argentine forces surrendered. By then 255 British servicemen, more than 600 Argentinians and three islanders had been killed.

In a referendum in March, 99.8% of islanders voted in favour of remaining a British Overseas Territory, but the poll was rejected by Argentina as a meaningless publicity stunt.