Argentina's foreign minister Pablo Quirno said his government would prevent the Falkland Islands from developing offshore oilfields, framing the move as part of a strategy to assert sovereignty over the territory.
Quirno made the statement during a speech at a thinktank event in Buenos Aires. The British ambassador attended the event. According to Quirno, Argentina would take action to block oil exploitation in Falklands waters.
Quirno also condemned the British government for declining to open negotiations over the islands and for supporting what he described as a significant offshore oil project in the territory's waters.
The announcement reflects Argentina's longstanding territorial claim to the Falkland Islands, which Britain has administered since 1833. Argentina considers the islands, which it calls the Islas Malvinas, an occupied territory.
No details were provided about how Argentina would enforce a ban on Falklands oil development or what specific mechanisms it might use.