The President Javier Milei he repeated to the British newspaper The Telegraph that for his government sovereignty over the Falkland Islands “It is non-negotiable” and that he will try to win her back through diplomatic channels. In parallel, the Foreign Office is working to fast-track a trade deal with the UK, either bilaterally or jointly with its Mercosur partners.
The Telegraph cites these statements by the President and reiterates that the President plans to visit Britain in March 2026, 44 years after the Malvinas War.
The news from Europe has left the government skeptical about the possibility of an imminent signing of the Mercosur agreement with the European Union, frustrated hours before the regional bloc’s latest summit in Foz de Iguazú and postponed in principle without details until sometime next January.
Immediately and while the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaAlthough France is still waiting for news from Brussels (France reiterated that it will not sign in the coming days), the government and the Foreign Ministry have already started negotiations to accelerate Mercosur trade deals with other blocs or countries through parallel channels. There are the most advanced ones, like the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, but the Chancellor Pablo Quirno recently added none other than Great Britain to the list.
“Europe needs a new positioning in world trade, it has lost its presence on the world stage (…). They are missing an opportunity and we have many opportunities, we are opening markets in Asia, in the Middle East, in the United Kingdom, which is not part of the European Union,” said Quirno THE NATION after the summit of Mercosur foreign ministers, before the meeting of presidents.
It certainly wasn’t a random mention. Asked about the matter, the British ambassador in Buenos Aires replied: David Cairnsdid not rule out a free trade agreement with Mercosur or at least a bilateral agreement with Argentina, almost 44 years after the bloody war between the two countries over Malvinas sovereignty.
“We are currently thinking about it. The responsible minister (Chris Bryant“The head of the commerce department has publicly expressed a desire for it to come to fruition, although approval from the whole of government is required,” Cairns said in an interview with the TN channel late last month. “What is important is that we want to promote trade and investment between the two countries.” “If an agreement between the UK and Mercosur contributes to this goal, I think it would be excellent,” the ambassador added. “Internal consultations between the parties have begun to decide whether to negotiate or not,” he said.
From the Foreign Ministry they explained that “we must not see (the agreements with other countries) as alternatives to the eventual agreement with the EU”, which they hope will be revived in the coming weeks, but as “progress made with countries and regions interested in agreements with Mercosur and also in bilateral agreements.” After acknowledging that Britain is “one of the countries that are close and interested,” the sources recalled that the United Kingdom accompanied the European Union’s negotiations with Mercosur until it decided to leave the European bloc through the so-called Brexit. “They are not starting from scratch and do not have the problems of continental Europe,” official sources with knowledge of the negotiations added. From Itamaraty, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, they recognized THE NATION that “Mercosur and the UK are talking,” although they defined the talks as “preliminary” and expect “progress” by 2026. Lula da Silva is particularly interested in reaching agreements with them Japan And Canadaother open options, commented the sources consulted.
Current data on bilateral trade suggests continued growth. According to trade site Oec.world, in November Argentina exported $45.2 million and imported $32.7 million from the United Kingdom, with a positive trade balance of $12.4 million. According to the same publication, Argentine exports increased by 1.73% between November 2024 and November last year, while imports increased by 7.37%.
In addition, there is political harmony between the two governments, which facilitates rapprochement. two weeks ago, The Telegraph had already reported that President Milei had assumed this will travel to London “next March or April”.and that both countries are “already working” to repeal this British veto on arms purchases which Argentina produces and which contain an ingredient of English origin. The news was played down by the British Labor government. “There are no specific discussions with Argentina about easing arms export controls by the UK. More broadly, we hope to deepen our cooperation with Argentina in areas such as trade, science and culture,” the Foreign Office said THE NATION.
Last May I was in Buenos Aires Fabian Hamiltonexperienced Labor leader, MP and Commercial shipment (Trade Envoy) to the Southern Cone to hold meetings with his colleagues from the Argentine government and local businessmen. For the UK, special targets include areas such as mining, pharmaceuticals, financial and legal services, as well as some consumer goods such as whisky.
In any case, the dispute over the Malvinas continues. In early December, the State Department expressed “its strongest opposition” to the “purported final investment decision” of “illegitimate licensees” Rockhopper Exploration Plc (British) and Navitas Petroleum (Israeli origin) to exploit the “Sea Lion” field in the North Malvinas Basin. Quirno fundamentally accepted the Israeli Chancellor’s reasons Gideon Saarwho distanced himself from the company in his country. He reiterated that “the issue of the Malvinas Islands must be resolved through negotiations between the parties in accordance with United Nations resolutions and international law.”
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