Oct 13 (Reuters) – Argentina’s government said on Tuesday it had filed a request for provisional measures with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea seeking to halt British-authorized hydrocarbon activity near the Falkland Islands.
The request aims to prevent the United Kingdom from exploiting hydrocarbon resources on the continental shelf of the Northern Falklands Basin, the government added in a statement.
The filing “seeks to preserve Argentina’s sovereign rights over its continental shelf and prevent activities authorized unilaterally and illegally by the United Kingdom,” the government added.
Tensions between Argentina and the UK over the territory that is controlled by Britain but claimed by the South American country have escalated. Last month President Javier Milei’s government presented legislation to crack down on companies drilling for oil off the Islands.
The government’s proposal would toughen penalties on companies and individuals who participate in activities linked to natural resources in the Falklands, and in Argentina’s maritime spaces without authorization from Argentine authorities. The new bill, which has yet to be approved by Congress, aims to revamp 2011 legislation with a tougher framework.
Oil companies Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration, owners of the Sea Lion offshore project north of the Falklands, have previously indicated they do not expect Argentina’s actions to derail development.
The British government said it would stand firm in the face of any threats and has defended the rights of the Falkland Islanders to self-determination.
(Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Lucinda Elliott)
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