Argentine ambassador to UK denies 'harassment' against vessels

Argentine ambassador to London Alicia Castro strongly rejected the complaints from the British Government about alleged “harassment actions” against vessels carrying out activities in the area surrounding the Malvinas Islands.

Britain summoned Castro after masked men ransacked the offices of a shipping company in Buenos Aires, a move the Foreign Office alleged was aimed at deterring ships from visiting the archipelago.

The Foreign Office said the shipping firm, agents for a cruise company, had been attacked on Nov. 19, causing the cancellation of a planned visit to the islands.

The ambassador was summoned by the FCO Defence and Intelligence Director General, Robert Hannigan, who also expressed concern about fishing-related activities in the South Atlantic. The official specifically objected the licences that Argentina grants for the fishing of squid in Argentine exclusive economic zone.

The reason for this claim, the ambassador explained, is that “the United Kingdom pretends to fish for squid in the waters surrounding the Malvinas Islands, profiting from our resources, just as they pretend to profit from hydrocarbons by means of their illegal exploration and exploitation.”

In response, the Foreign Office said in a statement that "it is shameful that elements within a large country like Argentina should seek to strangle the economy of a small group of islands. Such action benefits nobody and only condemns those who lend it support."

"We were disappointed that it was necessary formally to summon the ambassador into the Foreign Office. We made several attempts to arrange for a less formal meeting, each of which the Argentine embassy declined," the statement said.

The British official said after the meeting that Castro had been "very cross" to have been summoned and that she had accused the Foreign Office of "wasting her time."