Just over 30 years later, memories of the conflict remain and Argentine President Cristina Kirchner has mounted a campaign to renegotiate the islands' sovereignty, lobbying Pope Francis on the issue and rejecting a March referendum in which Falkland residents voted to remain a British Overseas Territory. <\/p>\n
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, said in 2012 when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires that Britain had \"usurped\" the disputed islands from Argentina. In 2011, he said the islands were \"ours,\" a view most Argentinians share. <\/p>\n
Argentine foreign minister Hector Timerman told reporters that London should engage in direct talks with Buenos Aires on the dispute. Lyall Grant said Britain was open to dialogue with Argentina, but only if the Falklanders are involved, a position Timerman dismissed. <\/p>\n
\"I am the foreign minister of Argentina,\" Timerman said. \"I want to talk with the foreign minister of the United Kingdom.\" <\/p>\n
Timerman and Summers were in New York for an annual meeting of the UN Decolonisation Committee on the Falklands-Malvinas dispute. <\/p>\n
Earlier on Thursday, the committee adopted a non-binding resolution sponsored by a number of Latin American states that was similar to ones adopted in previous years. It calls on Argentina and Britain to enter into negotiations on the islands. <\/p>\n
The Falklands are among the scattered remnants of the once mighty British Empire, which towered over 19th century history but faded into decline after the Second World War. <\/p>\n
Argentina argues it is absurd for Britain to have control of land so far from its own shores, accusing London of maintaining \"colonial enclaves.\" <\/p>\n
Edited for Telegraph.co.uk by Barney Henderson <\/p>\n
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Falkland Islands and Britain rejects Argentina's Pope Francis hopes<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Just over 30 years later, memories of the conflict remain and Argentine President Cristina Kirchner has mounted a campaign to renegotiate the islands' sovereignty, lobbying Pope Francis on the issue and rejecting a March referendum in which Falkland residents voted to remain a British Overseas Territory. Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, said in 2012 when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires that Britain had \"usurped\" the disputed islands from Argentina. In 2011, he said the islands were \"ours,\" a view most Argentinians share Continue reading