Commenting on reports that a meeting with Labour’s Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones to discuss the 150th anniversary of Welsh settlers in Patagonia has been used by the Argentinian Embassy to press the case for British sovereignty of the Falklands to be surrendered, Andrew RT Davies AM, Leader of the Opposition, said:
“These comments raise serious questions about the Labour First Minister’s judgement.
“I would expect the Welsh government to have seen this statement prior to its release. If so, it is extremely naïve for Labour’s First Minister to allow himself to be used as a pawn in this dispute and an explanation is swiftly required.
“If the statement was not seen, it is incumbent upon Carwyn Jones to immediately distance himself from the context of the statement and the comments highlighted, which many will find distasteful.
“A number of Welsh guardsmen lost their lives liberating the Falklands and all should be remembered.
“The islands should remain British for as long as their inhabitants wish and I urge Labour’s Carwyn Jones to publicly join me in making those statements.
“It is extremely important that we mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Welsh settlers in Patagonia and the hugely positive impact they continue to have.”
