Argentina has demanded a halt to oil exploration off the coast of the disputed islands

Hearings have begun at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg regarding the "Sea Lion" project near the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands. 

Argentina is requesting an emergency order to suspend oil drilling operations while an arbitration tribunal is being constituted, arguing that the work could cause irreversible damage to the seabed and that the crews may lack the necessary equipment to contain oil spills given the local weather conditions.

 The United Kingdom is urging the tribunal to reject the request, maintaining that the Convention on the Law of the Sea does not grant the tribunal the authority to rule on the sovereignty of the islands and that even a temporary pause could jeopardize the entire project.

The United Kingdom is backing an oil project in the South Atlantic, from which the first barrel is not expected to be extracted for more than a year. 

Argentina, however, argues that damage could begin as soon as the first production well is drilled. 

At a hearing before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Argentina requested an emergency order to suspend the "Sea Lion" project pending the formation of a separate arbitral tribunal.

ℹ️ Content Notice: This text is an English translation and factual adaptation of news events, edited for clarity, neutrality and objective reporting.
Source of information: Global News Agencies including REUTERS / TASS / AFP / ANADOLU / INT.RU / Al Jazeera / CNN