At a meeting with the Falkland Islands Government in the Houses of Parliament, I was pleased to pledge my support for Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination.
I met with representatives of the Falkland Islands Government last week to hear the latest news and updates from the Falklands and to learn more about Islanders’ right to self-determination, which is a fundamental right enshrined in article one, paragraph two of the United Nations Charter.
In 2013, the Falkland Islands held an internationally observed sovereignty referendum, in which 99.8 per cent of voters, on a turnout of 92 per cent, voted in favour of remaining an internally self-government Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.
The Falkland Islands are an internally self-governing and economically self-sufficient UK Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic. Strategically placed at the gateway to Antarctica, the Islands are home to over 3,600 people.
I was very pleased to meet with representatives of the Falkland Islands Government and to hear more about the Falklands and Islanders’ important right to self-determination. I am proud to support the Falklands in their desire to remain part of the UK family, and I was interested to learn more about the Falklands’ thriving economy, beautiful environment and their strategic importance to the UK.
I’m currently working closely with the Falkland Islands Government on supply chain opportunities for the North-east following the announcement of a $2.1billion investment in development of the Islands’ offshore resources.
I was delighted to visit the Falkland Islands last year as a guest of the Falklands Islands Government, is keen that the expertise and supply chain available in the North-east is well-placed to take advantage of potential opportunities.
I am very keen that the existing well of expertise and personnel built up over many years of supplying the North Sea industry can take full advantage of what I expect will be a range of opportunities available as a result of this investment decision.
We are still in the early stages of the Just Transition and while work towards that continues to build, we still need oil and gas and the supply chain still needs to have meaningful opportunities to bid for contracts.
- Photograph shows Seamus Logan MP with the Falkland Islands Government Representative to the UK & Europe, Richard Hyslop.
