Argentina’s ambassador to France refused to begin his address at the French National Assembly in Paris until a world map that showed the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) as British territory was covered up.
Ambassador Ian Sielecki had been invited to speak to the Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Commission about Franco-Argentine relations and trade ties on 21st January, but the session briefly veered towards a diplomatic flashpoint the moment he noticed the map.
As the commission chair Bruno Fuchs introduced him, a woman seated beside the diplomat quietly pointed out the detail on the planisphere at the back of the room.
Sielecki turned, saw the islands marked with the initials “R-U” (for Royaume-Uni/United Kingdom), and visibly bristled.
When he began speaking, he thanked lawmakers for the invitation, and then immediately raised the issue.
He said: “Unfortunately I must point out a small inconvenience, Mr President, which is in fact a huge problem for my country,” before adding that he could not “speak freely” in front of a map portraying the islands “as if they were part of the United Kingdom”.
The Argentine ambassador to France asked that a map recognizing the Falkland Islands as British be covered up during a speech in Parliament, Jan 21, 2026. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video. (National Assembly/Newsflash)
He argued that doing so would “legitimise” what Argentina considers an attack on its sovereignty, and compared the situation to asking Ukraine’s ambassador to deliver a speech in front of a map showing Crimea or Luhansk as legitimately Russian.
Fuchs attempted to play down the row, telling the ambassador that everyone knew the territory was disputed and that the commission had not intended to “attribute” sovereignty.
But Sielecki insisted the marking was the point, and asked whether the map could be covered during his remarks.
After a brief exchange, officials improvised by placing a yellow adhesive note over the section of the map showing the islands, allowing the proceedings to continue.
The Falkland Islands lie in the South Atlantic around 600 kilometres (370 miles) off Argentina’s Patagonian coast and were the scene of the 1982 war between Argentina and the UK, which lasted 74 days and killed 649 Argentines and 255 Brits.
Sielecki has served as Argentina’s ambassador in Paris since September 2024.
(Mike Leidig / Newsflash)