The Argentinian government has expressed “concern” over British aircraft landing in a neighbouring country, according to reports.
Officials contacted the Foreign Ministry to the UK Embassy in Buenos Aires after seven military aircraft reportedly made a stopover in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Friday.
Argentina‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Gerardo Werthein, voiced its disquiet over “recent landings of British military aircraft in neighbouring countries” and also asked for “reports from the relevant authorities”, Argentinian news outlet El Canciller reports.
“This concern has been communicated to the British Government through a note to its Embassy in Buenos Aires, reaffirming Argentina‘s determination to defend its sovereign rights and its willingness for a constructive dialogue within the framework of international law to find a fair, peaceful, and definitive solution,” the department said in a statement.
“The Argentine Republic reaffirms its imprescriptible sovereign rights over the Malvinas, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding maritime areas, and its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the dispute with the United Kingdom,” the statement added.
The RAF planes, which included Five Eurofighter Typhoon jets, an Airbus A400M (ZM4127), and a Voyager Airbus 330 KC2 (ZZ334) landed at Galeão Air Base in Rio de Janeiro on Friday afternoon, according to the reports.
They’re then said to have remained there until midnight on Saturday.
In September, Argentina’s then Foreign Minister Diana Mondino reached a preliminary agreement with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy over the resumption of the weekly flight from the Brazilian city of São Paulo to The Falklands, with a monthly stopover in Córdoba province which was discontinued in 2020.
The UK Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
The RAF routinely operate in or around the Falkland Islands – which are referred to as the Malvinas in Argentina part of a permanent deterrent in defence of the island.
RAF aircraft ferry troops to and from the island and contribute to tri-service exercises in the area.
Nearby Ascension Island has a permanent station for the British airforce, providing a vital “stepping stone” between the UK and the territory, which is claimed by Argentina.
In recent years, the Argentinian government has increased its rhetoric regarding their hopes of regaining sovereignty of the islands.