The president Javier Milei reaffirmed Argentina's claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands during his participation in the XXX Ibero-American Summit, held in Madrid, and pointed out the illegal exploration and exploitation activities of hydrocarbons driven by UK companies in the southwestern Atlantic.
Before the region's leaders, he thanked the international support for Argentina's position and reiterated that the recovery of the territories is a permanent priority of his Government.
One of the main focuses of his speech was the Sea Lion project, located in the North Falkland Basin, whose exploitation prompted new actions from the Argentine Government.
Javier Milei, Pablo Quirno and José Antonio Kast.
Milei referred to the arbitration initiated by Argentina against the United Kingdom regarding hydrocarbon activities and the request for provisional measures presented to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to try to halt British development.
In this context, the president indicated that his administration initiated sanctioning procedures and filed criminal complaints against the involved companies and their executives. He also thanked the Ibero-American countries for their support of the special statement on the islands and their backing for the resumption of negotiations between Buenos Aires and London.
Milei reaffirmed that regaining full sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding maritime spaces represents a “permanent and non-negotiable objective” for Argentina, which seeks to achieve it “by peaceful means and in accordance with international law.”
Milei defended his economic program
In addition to addressing the sovereignty issue, the President used his speech to assert the main guidelines of his administration. He reaffirmed his commitment to life, individual freedom, and private property, and highlighted the results of his management in terms of fiscal balance, tax reduction, and economic deregulation.
Javier Milei and the King of Spain.
In particular, he mentioned the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI) and stated that the applications for admission to the program exceeded 210 billion dollars. The figure was presented as part of the results of the economic policy promoted by his Government to attract investments.
On the regional front, the head of state also criticized governments that advance authoritarian practices. “There are regimes that invoke human rights while imprisoning dissenters and silencing the press,” he warned.
Furthermore, he raised the need to review the functioning of multilateral organizations and argued that the programs they develop must justify the resources they receive, without overlapping mandates or responsibilities.
Condolences for the train accident in Spain
At the beginning of his speech, Milei expressed his condolences for the 69 victims of the train accident that occurred in Toledo, among whom were two Argentines, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He also thanked the Kingdom of Spain for the invitation and for its work at the helm of the pro tempore secretariat of the summit.
Towards the end, the President called on the region's leaders to promote an agenda based on freedom and political and economic changes.
“I call on the leaders of Ibero-America to put the authority we receive from citizens at the service of their freedom. Argentina is ready to promote this path alongside those who want to leave behind the decay. We will restore to our countries the ambition to achieve the greatness that their history deserves,” he concluded.
