Boris Johnson met with Argentinian Prime Minister Javier Milei on Monday and reportedly made no mention of the Falkland Islands during their encounter.
Instead, the former British Prime Minister reportedly promised to make arrangements for Milei to meet Mick Jagger during the meeting as part of his book tour.
Sources familiar with the conversation claimed to La Nacion that this came about as the politicians were discussing Paul McCartney’s recent visit to Argentina, with the topic of discussion then moving on to the Rolling Stones.
Jagger has yet to comment on whether he would agree to meet his famous fan.
Johnson and Milei spent just over an hour together and, during this time, Johnson also reportedly said he would organise a visit to the UK so that Milei could give a speech about libertarianism.
Johnson is currently in South America promoting his new book, Unleashed, and reportedly started the meeting by giving Milei a signed copy that read, “To President Milei, with best wishes”.
Also in the meeting was Johnson’s wife Carrie as well as an assistant and Milei’s official translator, Walter Kerr.
High-ranking government sources told La Nacion that Johnson “seemed fascinated” by the Argentine president and was “delighted with the things he was saying.”
Johnson last visited Argentina in May 2018 as Britain’s Foreign Secretary. During the historic trip, he held bilateral meetings with the nation’s then-President Mauricio Macri and his Argentinian counterpart at the time Jorge Faurie.
The meeting came months after Milei vowed to establish a diplomatic “roadmap” towards the UK handing over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands to Argentina.
In April, he reiterated the nation’s “unwavering claim for the islands” and took a swipe at his predecessors for “mere words” spoken in “international forums with no impact on reality”.
Apart from the mention of Jagger and confirmation that the Falkland Islands were not discussed, it was not made clear overnight what the Argentinian president and Boris spoke about during their 75-minute meeting.
Johnson has previously expressed fears that Keir Starmer will hand the Falklands to Argentina after signing over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius – an ally of China.
He said: “What do they think, in Beijing, when they see Starmer pointlessly surrendering the Chagos Islands? They are laughing their pants off.
“Would they do the same? Not on your nelly. They are acquiring new bases around the world – not limp-wristedly handing over their rightful possessions.
“For the first time in decades I am now genuinely anxious about Britain overseas, from Gibraltar to the Falkland Islands. This is what happens when you are governed not by Blairites – as they pretended to be at the election – but by lefty ideologues.”
