The Falkland (Malvinas) Issue in the Context of International Security in the South Atlantic

Although the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands are a British overseas territory, in 2016 the United Nations has included these islands in the exclusive economic zone of Argentina. Given the fact that after the proclamation of the Falklands as a territory under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom Argentina has not renounced claims to the Malvinas, this decision may become a turning point in the dispute over the Falklands sovereignty and might affect the status quo. This work will examine the essence of the dispute over the archipelago, will analyse British and Argentine claims on the islands and will also consider some factors that may affect the further course of the dispute. It is expected that the ineffectiveness of the current Falkland status will be proven, therefore, there will be given possible scenarios to resolve the current dispute. This study will be a significant contribution to the existing cluster of scientific papers on the Falkland issue since any change in the ownership of the islands can have a serious impact on the bilateral UK-Argentina relations as well as affect the balance of power in the South Atlantic zone. Keywords: Argentina, the United Kingdom, Malvinas/Falklands Islands, overseas territories, geopolitics, sovereignty