Argentinian leader calls Britain a ‘crude colonial power’ after Cameron says Falklands will stay British

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 3:58 PM on 18th June 2011

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Argentina's president has called Britain a 'crude colonial power' after David Cameron declared the Falkland Islands should remain British territory.

President Cristina Fernandez took issue with remarks made by Mr Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions.

The leader had praised the British troops who retook the Falklands from the Argentines during the 1982 war over the islands.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez giving a speech at an official lunch with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this week

'As long as the Falkland Islands want to be sovereign British territory, they should remain sovereign British territory - full stop, end of story,' he said.

The South Atlantic islands are claimed by Argentina, which refers to them as Las Malvinas.

Ms Fernandez insisted Argentina and Britain should negotiate over the islands, as the U.N. General Assembly has urged.

David Cameron said the Falklands should remain British sovereign territory as long as they want to during Prime Minister's Questions

She said Argentina intends to keep raising its demands in international forums for negotiations with the British.

'We're going to say that in the 21st century they continue to be a crude colonial power in decline,' she said.

Referring to Mr Cameron's statements, Ms Fernandez said that Argentina's foreign minister considered it an 'expression of arrogance.'

Earlier in the week during a visit to Buenos Aires by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, she had called for dialogue with London on the issue.

A view of Port Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands

A Sea Harrier over Port Stanley just after the ceasefire

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