No position change on Falkland Islands following referendum, says U.S.

　　WASHINGTON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration on Tuesday said that its position regarding the Falkland Islands, known as the Malvinas to the Argentines, remains unchanged, but acknowledged that the Falklands residents have clearly expressed their preference in a recent referendum.

　　"The residents have clearly expressed their preference for a continued relationship with the United Kingdom," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said of the two-day referendum that ended Monday on the islands, in which 99.8 percent of participating voters chose to keep the archipelago a self- governing British overseas territory.

　　"That said, we obviously recognize that there are competing claims," Nuland told reporters at a regular news briefing here. " Our formal position has not changed. We recognize the de facto UK administration of the islands, but we take no position on sovereignty claims."

　　The islands, inhabited by less than 3,000 people, have been under British control since 1833, but are claimed by Argentina as well. The two countries fought a brief war in June 1982, resulting in the death of 649 Argentines and 255 British soldiers.

　　Most countries in the Western Hemisphere stand behind Argentina, while the United States has called for a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

　　The vast majority of the Falklands residents are of British descent. Argentina has dismissed the referendum as a meaningless publicity stunt that carries no international legitimacy.

　　美国称对英阿岛屿争端立场未变

　　新华网华盛顿3月12日电――美国国务院发言人维多利亚?纽兰12日表示，尽管福克兰群岛(阿根廷称马尔维纳斯群岛)居民通过公投表达了明确倾向，但美国在英国和阿根廷相关主权争端问题上的立场并未改变。

　　纽兰当天在国务院例行新闻发布会上说：“岛上居民已经明确表明倾向于继续维持与英国的关系。尽管如此，我们显然意识到存在对抗性的诉求。我们的正式立场没有改变，我们承认英国对岛屿的实际管辖，但在主权诉求上不持立场。”

　　当地时间11日晚，英国和阿根廷有主权争议的马尔维纳斯群岛(英国称福克兰群岛)公投结果揭晓，99.8%的投票者支持继续保留英国“海外属地”政治地位。由于马岛居民绝大多数都是英国移民，因此这一结果早在意料之中。英国首相卡梅伦当天表示，希望岛民的“自决权”和公投结果得到阿根廷的尊重。阿根廷方面则认为，此次公投违背国际法和联合国决议，不会改变岛屿的法律地位，英国应通过谈判解决问题。