LONDON, December 29. /TASS/. Argentina wants to maintain and grow its solid relations with the United Kingdom, but will never drop its claims to the Falkland Islands, also known as the Malvinas, Argentinian President Javier Milei said.

"We will never give up our sovereignty claim over Las Malvinas," he said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, adding that this is a "non-negotiable" issue. At the same time, he stressed that he wants "to improve trade" with the United Kingdom.

The Falkland Islands (the Malvinas) have been a disputed territory between Argentina and Britain for almost 200 years. The Falklands were the cause of an armed conflict between Britain and Argentina in 1982. The UK defeated Argentina, which lost 649 soldiers over two and a half months of hostilities. The UK’s losses were 255 troops.

In March 2013, a referendum on the archipelago's status took place on the Falklands. The majority of the population voted for preserving the islands' status as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Argentina refused to recognize the referendum's results.