Tensions erupt between Argentina, Britain over disputed islands

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 22, 2004

Tensions erupt between Argentina, Britain over disputed islands

Diplomatic tensions erupted Saturday between Argentina and Britain for the presence of an Argentine icebreaker ship near the disputed Malvinas islands.

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Diplomatic tensions erupted Saturday between Argentina and Britain for the presence of an Argentine icebreaker ship near the disputed Malvinas islands.

Britain urged Argentina to explain why the Almirante Irizar icebreaker recently entered the Malvinas' "exclusive zone".

Argentine media quoted Foreign Ministry officials as saying Saturday that the Almirante Irizar was carrying out fishing control tasks in Argentine jurisdictional waters and kept securitycontacts with fishing boats and British units while sailing near the Malvinas islands.

Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa has ordered a responseto the British request.

The Malvinas islands, called the Falkland islands by Britain, are located in the south Atlantic in front of the Argentine coast.In 1982, both countries fought a brief war over the sovereignty ofthe islands, which are currently under British rule.

The British authorities said the icebreaker and a helicopter going with it entered for 24 hours 10 miles into what is considered an exclusive area of the islands.

The Argentine government does not recognize the exclusion zone marked in 1994 by Britain.

Source: Xinhua

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