Britain to sell weapons to Argentina’s military

BrITAIN will sell military equipment to Argentina again following a thaw in diplomatic relations.

millions of pounds worth of arms sales to the country were halted in 2012 amid mounting tensions over the sovereignty of the falkland Islands.

But yesterday foreign office minister Sir Alan Duncan said the restrictions put in place six years ago would be eased.

Britain will again be able to export military equipment and technology to Argentina – so long as it does not ‘enhance’ the capabilities of the country’s army. Anything which will replace ‘like-for-like’ equipment will be allowed, so long as the deal is judged not to be detrimental to the UK’s defence and security interests.

Sir Alan added: ‘We rigorously examine every application on a case-by-case basis and remain prepared to suspend or revoke licences should the level of risk increase.’

The change in policy comes weeks after foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited Buenos Aires, where he vowed to ‘build a partnership and an intensifying commercial relationship’ with Argentina.

The restrictions on the sale of military equipment were imposed in 2012 when Cristina Kirchner was the Argentine president. She had intensified demands for Britain to hand over ‘Las malvinas’ and called the 3,400 islanders ‘squatters’.

But diplomatic relations have improved under her successor mauricio macri, who has adopted a less confrontational stance on the falklands, over which Argentina claims sovereignty. Britain refuses to negotiate the issue with Argentina.

In the two years leading up to the 2012 export restrictions were imposed, Britain sold £2.3million of military equipment to Argentina.

The invasion and occupation of the falkland Islands by Argentina led to the ten-week falklands War in 1982, which cost the lives of 255 British, 649 Argentinians and three islanders.