The Argentine government has asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for provisional measures to halt UK-sanctioned hydrocarbon-related activity near the Falkland Islands. This was stated in a declaration by the Argentine authorities, cited by Cyprus Mail.
Request to the maritime tribunal
Argentina seeks to prevent the United Kingdom from developing hydrocarbon resources on the continental shelf of the North Falkland Basin. The Argentine government said the application is intended to protect the country’s sovereign rights to its continental shelf and prevent actions that, according to Buenos Aires, the United Kingdom has authorized unilaterally and unlawfully.
Escalation of the dispute
Tensions between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the territory, which is under British control and claimed by Argentina, have intensified. Last month, the government of President Javier Milei submitted a bill to strengthen liability for companies drilling for oil near the islands.
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The proposed law provides for stricter penalties for companies and individuals involved in activities related to natural resources in the Falkland Islands and Argentina’s maritime areas without authorization from the Argentine authorities. The document, which still requires congressional approval, is intended to update legislation from 2011.
Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration, which own the offshore Sea Lion project north of the islands, previously said they did not expect Argentina’s actions to disrupt its implementation. The UK government said it would not yield to threats and defends the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination.
