Relationship dossier
Argentina
Falkland Islands
Relationship assessment
A persistent sovereignty dispute shapes Argentina’s relationship with the Falkland Islands.
Argentina toward Falkland Islands
-45Argentina maintains its sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, which it calls the Malvinas, and rejects the islanders’ choice to remain a British Overseas Territory. Argentina rejected the 2013 referendum on the islands’ political status.
Falkland Islands toward Argentina
-20The Falkland Islands have an elected local government, while the United Kingdom retains responsibility for foreign affairs and defence. In 2013, islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory, rejecting Argentina’s sovereignty claim.
Overall relationship
-40The enduring feature of the relationship is Argentina’s sovereignty claim and the islanders’ rejection of it. The Falkland Islands’ elected government has a role in local affairs, but the United Kingdom handles foreign affairs and defence, limiting the scope of independent bilateral relations.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Argentina maintains a sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands and rejects the islanders’ choice to remain a British Overseas Territory. The islands have an elected local government, while the United Kingdom retains responsibility for foreign affairs and defence. In 2013, islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory, a decision rejected by Argentina. The dispute shapes the relationship, though the islands do not conduct an independent foreign policy.
Areas of tension
- Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands conflicts with the islanders’ preference to remain a British Overseas Territory.
- Argentina rejects the 2013 referendum on the islands’ political status.
Key developments
Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory in a referendum on the islands’ political status; Argentina rejected the result.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct practical cooperation between Argentina’s government and the Falkland Islands Government is unclear.
- The scope and implementation of any local arrangements with Argentina are unclear.