Mercosur bans Falklands flags

The member states - Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay - announced the decision at the MERCOSUR (Common Market of the South) summit that was held this week in Uruguay's capital city, Montevideo.

In a statement the Uruguayan president Jose Mujica said, “We have reached a decision regarding the Malvinas-flagged ships. They will not be allowed to dock in MERCOSUR's ports. If that happens they should not be accepted in another port of the regional block.”

The Argentinean president Cristina Fernandez, who has taken over MERCOSUR's presidency, welcomed the statement and affirmed that the Malvinas question involves a “global cause” since the UK “is taking away” the region's fisheries and oil resources.

Fernandez also questioned once more British position and said the European country “sits at the UN Security Council but does not abide by its resolutions”.

British Foreign Office has repudiated South America's political move saying, “Argentina's latest attempt will isolate the Islands and damage people's livelihood.”

Uruguay's leader has affirmed British-flagged civilian ships that supply the Islands would be allowed to drop their anchors but not military vessels.

According to experts, MERCOSUR's strategic support will allow Argentina to exert pressure on the UK in order to force the European nation to sit at the negotiating table and discuss Argentina's sovereignty claims over the disputed territories.

Argentina's decision to tighten controls on all shipping to and from the Malvinas has escalated its diplomatic row with the UK over the disputed territories, which the South American country continues to consider under British “illegal” occupation.