Britain’s top diplomat says he hopes the Falkland Islands will wish to stay in the UK family forever

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has toured battle sites of the Falklands War during a visit meant to underline that the Falkland Islands are a “valued part of the British family.” Cameron is the first British foreign secretary to make the trip to the South Atlantic archipelago in three decades. The trip came amid renewed calls by Argentina for negotiations over the contested territory. Cameron was taken on a helicopter tour of the islands and stopped at two battle sites in the 1982 Falklands War. He also visited a cemetery and paid respects to the war dead. The islands have long been a source of tension between Argentina and the U.K. Cameron said Monday he hoped that the islands would wish to remain part of the British “family” forever.