Foreign Secretary re-affirms UK鈥檚 support for Falkland Islands
Foreign Secretary William Hague today met Jan Cheek and Dick Sawle of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly at the Foreign Office.
Foreign Secretary William Hague meeting Jan Cheek and Dick Sawle members of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands in London, 6 February 2013.
Following the meeting, the Foreign Secretary said:
鈥淚 am delighted to have hosted members of the Falkland Islands Government in London today.鈥�
鈥淭he Falkland Islands is a self-governing British Overseas Territory and a thriving democracy with a growing economy. Through nine generations the people of the Falklands have worked tirelessly to establish their position in the world and their voice deserves to be heard. With this in mind, I welcome their forthcoming referendum in March. This will be a chance for the people of the Falkland Islands to express their views about how they wish to be governed, and in a democratic and incontestable way without other people speaking for them. They have the British Government鈥檚 full support.鈥�
鈥淚t is of course a shame that the Argentine Foreign Minister, Hector Timerman, was unwilling to join us for a conversation about the Falkland Islands. As I have said before there is no way such a conversation could have taken place without members of the Falkland Islands Government being present, especially given the current Argentine government鈥檚 behaviour towards the Islanders. It is, and must always be, for them to decide their own future.鈥�
Further information
Supporting the Falkland Islanders鈥� right to self-determination
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