Sovereignty is the core of the dispute

The sovereignty question, the issue that is central to the dispute, has not yet been addressed due to the reluctance of the United Kingdom to include this topic in the negotiations despite the many calls of the international community in favour of a definitive solution.

F The First Transitory Provision of the Argentine National Constitution of 1994 stipulates: "The Argentine Nation ratifies its legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich and the corresponding maritime and island spaces, as they are an integral part of the national territory. The recovery of said territories and the full exercise of sovereignty, respectful of the way of life of their inhabitants and in accordance with the principles of International Law, are a permanent and irrenounceable objective of the Argentine people."

President Kirchner's Government has reaffirmed State policy as regards the Malvinas Islands Question which favours the search for ways to resume negotiations on sovereignty and has continued to comply with the provisional understandings under the sovereignty formula with the United Kingdom on practical aspects of the South Atlantic, displaying its willingness to enter into new understandings which might be of interest to Argentina and contribute to create the conditions for the resumption of negotiations on sovereignty.

On 2 April 2006, at the commemoration ceremony dedicated to the veterans and the fallen of the Malvinas war, President Nestor Kirchner said: "Our citizens, our people have the common determination to rescue the sovereignty over our islands. Once more therefore we express again our will to resume dialogue with the United Kingdom. It will be a dialogue between democracies to face and solve a controversy which affects our relations. It will be a process in which we shall show good faith and which will require good faith, tenacity and good will also on behalf of the United Kingdom. They have to show good will to negotiate about our sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands."

The call on the United Kingdom to comply with the repeated international summonses to resume negotiations on sovereignty in accordance with the resolutions and declarations of the United Nations and the Organisation of American States has been repeated in international and regional organisations and to the international community in general, as well as the permanent willingness of Argentina in this regard. At the same time, the Argentine government has reaffirmed its respect for the way of life of the islanders guaranteed by the National Constitution and the Argentine commitment to consider their interests, pursuant to the United Nations resolutions.

Notwithstanding the above, the Argentine Republic rejects and objects to British unilateral acts in the disputed area which do not take into account the provisional understandings under the sovereignty formula and are contrary to the provisions of Resolution 31/49 of the United Nations General Assembly, which urges the Parties to abstain from introducing unilateral modifications in the situation.