Argentina renews demands for talks over Malvinas Islands

In a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Tuesday, Timerman, who was accompanied by the foreign ministers of Uruguay and Cuba, once again demanded talks with London on the sovereignty of the disputed islands.
 
However, Britain's UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant declined the Argentinean offer to hold discussions, pointing to the islanders' vote earlier this month to remain British.
 
The British settlers on the island voted on March 10 and 11 on a UK-backed referendum to ratify the inhabitants’ right to remain an overseas territory of Britain.
 
Describing the referendum as “illegal,” Timerman said it is “truly deplorable” that the UK has rejected 40 resolutions by the UN Decolonization Committee calling for negotiations between Buenos Aires and London on the Malvinas’ sovereignty.
 
He also denounced Britain's "military invasion" of the territory, adding that the UK wants the islands as a military base as part of "a strategic colonialist decision".
 
Argentina and Britain fought a 74-day war in 1982 over the islands, which ended with the British side claiming victory over the Argentineans.
 
Located about 300 miles off Argentina’s coast and home to about 3,000 inhabitants, the islands have been declared part of the British Overseas Territories since Britain established its colonial rule on the territories in 1833.