A senior British government official has turned down an invitation to attend talks in Argentina when he visits the disputed Falkland Islands next week, dpa quoted the Foreign Office in London as saying Friday. Jeremy Browne, a Foreign Office minister with responsibility for the region, was "grateful" for the invitation by Argentina, but had a "full schedule of events" during his visit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the end of the Falkland conflict. "We have today received an invitation from Argentina's foreign minister, Hector Timmerman, for Mr Browne to visit Buenos Aires next week," a Foreign Office spokesman said. "Mr Browne is grateful for the invitation. The UK has a long-standing interest in building a stronger partnership with Argentina on a broad range of issues of mutual interest," he added. However, the only issue Britain would not discuss was that of the sovereignty of the Falklands - which Argentina calls the Islas Malvinas - "unless and until the islanders wish us to do so." A formal response to the invitation would be issued in due course. Commemorations to mark the start of the conflict, on April 2, 1982, were held in both Argentina and Britain.
