Tension mounts in Falklands oil row

Rig towed 8,000 miles from Scotland

Tensions between the UK and Argentina mounted yesterday as a British oil rig began drilling off the Falkland Islands.

Defence Minister Bill Rammell said the government will take "whatever steps are necessary" to protect the islands, which had a "legitimate right" to develop an oil industry within their waters.

British exploration company Desire Petroleum's platform Ocean Guardian has been towed 8,000 miles from Scotland to the south Atlantic isles for the exploration.

At question time in the Commons yesterday, Mr Rammell said: "There has been no change whatsoever to our policy and we have no doubt whatsoever about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, and no change in our support to their legitimate right to develop a hydrocarbon industry within its waters.

"We do, we have, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to protect the Falkland Islands and our counterparts in Argentina are aware of that."

Mr Rammell pledged to protect the islands and added: "We do continue to have a bilateral relationship and we use every effort to get those messages across."

Argentina has formally objected to the move and tightened shipping regulations in the region.

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