Britain says it was 'regrettable' that the EU called the Falklands by Argentina's preferred name

The British government said Thursday that the European Union made a “regrettable choice of words” when it referred to the U.K.-run Falkland Islands as the Malvinas, the name preferred by Argentina.

A declaration from an EU-Latin America summit on Tuesday referred to the South Atlantic archipelago as ”the Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands.” That was hailed as a diplomatic triumph by Argentina, which has long claimed the islands.

It was seen by some in the U.K. as a snub to Britain, which left the EU in 2020 and was not at the summit to make its case.

Max Blain, spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said EU officials had since “clarified their position.”

He said “it would have been entirely unacceptable for the EU to question the Falkland Islanders’ right to decide their own future.”

“To be clear, the Falkland Islands are British, that was the choice of the islanders themselves. The EU has rightly now clarified that their position on the Falklands has not changed after their regrettable choice of words.”

“The concern is any suggestion that EU states would recognize Argentina’s claims on the Falklands, which they have now clarified is incorrect,” he added.

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, which are about 300 miles (480 kilometers) from South America and home to some 3,500 people.

Argentina argues that the islands were illegally taken from it in 1833. Britain, which says its territorial claim dates to 1765, sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who had sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.

Argentina invaded the islands in 1982, triggering a two-month war, won by Britain, that claimed the lives of 649 Argentine personnel, 255 British service members and three islanders.

Residents in 2013 voted overwhelmingly in favor of remaining an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.