British foreign secretary Boris Johnson to lay Falklands wreath in Argentina
Top diplomat will be on a mission to try to sell UK companies to Latin America, as London scrambles for post-Brexit trade deals
Boris Johnson will lay a wreath to commemorate the Falklands conflict in Argentina this weekend as part of a five-day visit to Latin America.
The foreign secretary will also travel to Peru and Chile during the trip, which is supposed to showcase Britain’s internationalist credentials after Brexit.
Relations with Buenos Aires over the Falklands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas, and to which it still lays a territorial claim, have thawed under President Mauricio Macri, whom Johnson will meet.
The first talks about fishing rights since the 1982 Falklands conflict took place recently and Britain has been helping relatives of some of the more than 600 Argentine casualties to identify remains on the islands.
Speaking before the visit, Johnson said: “This will be my first visit to the region since becoming foreign secretary. Latin America is a vibrant and dynamic part of the world that works closely with the UK on a number of issues including trade, security, science, infrastructure and education … I am looking forward to strengthening the UK’s relationship with countries in the region.”
