John Kerry urges Britain and Argentina to resolve Falklands dispute

America declined to support the Government's position on the Falkland Islands when John Kerry, the new US secretary of state, urged Britain and Argentina to settle the "issue" peacefully.
Mr Kerry chose London for the first stop of his first overseas visit as secretary of state. After meeting the Prime Minister for breakfast and holding several hours of talks with William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Kerry hailed Britain as a “remarkable partner”.

His presence in London was “no accident”, said Mr Kerry, adding: “When you think of everything that binds the US and Great Britain together, there is a reason why we call this a special relationship.”

Mr Hague, for his part, said the Anglo-American “partnership” in “diplomacy, intelligence and defence has no equal anywhere in the world”.

The two men spoke side-by-side at a Foreign Office press conference. On the Falklands, however, Mr Kerry made clear that America was resolutely neutral on the question of the Islands’ sovereignty.

Next month, the Falklands will hold a referendum on whether to remain a British Overseas Territory or unite with Argentina. The Government supports this poll as a visible expression of the Islanders’ right to self determination.

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