April 3 (UPI) — Bolivia defended its support for Argentina’s sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands and called for renewed negotiations with the United Kingdom after the British ambassador in La Paz criticized its position as “deeply disappointing and unacceptable.”

Tensions escalated after remarks by U.K. Ambassador Richard Porter, who reaffirmed British sovereignty over the islands.

“The Falkland Islands are British. Their sovereignty is not in question,” Porter said in a video recorded outside Bolivia’s Foreign Ministry. He added that in 2013 “99.8% of the inhabitants voted to remain British” and defended “the right of peoples to decide their own future.”

Bolivia responded Thursday with an official statement it said was grounded in international law and United Nations resolutions.

“The Plurinational State of Bolivia recalls that the question of the Malvinas Islands is treated by the United Nations as a situation that remains pending,” the government said, reiterating its call for a negotiated, peaceful and lasting solution between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

The Foreign Ministry also urged diplomatic missions to “observe the corresponding institutional channels” and avoid actions that could hinder dialogue between states.

Bolivia denied that its position constitutes interference in internal affairs and reaffirmed its commitment to international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

The dispute intensified after Bolivia’s vice foreign minister, Carlos Paz Ide, attended an event Wednesday at the Argentine Embassy in La Paz to mark the Day of the Veteran and the Fallen in the Malvinas War.

During the event, Bolivia reaffirmed that “the Malvinas cause not only belongs to Argentina, but also constitutes a regional cause,” according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Later on April 3, Porter issued a new message on social media denying any statement about attending the Argentine event and warning of a stronger response.

“Incorrect. I did not make any statement about attending the Argentine event. None,” he wrote.

“Any public intervention in our sovereign affairs will be answered publicly, forcefully and immediately.

Everyone will see it. I will not remain silent. I will not take a step back. I will always defend my country, I will always protect it, and if the moment comes, I will give everything, even my life, to protect it.”

The dispute over the Falkland Islands dates to the 19th century and remains unresolved.

It reached its most critical point in 1982, when Argentina and the United Kingdom fought a war that ended with British control over the archipelago.

Argentina has since pushed for sovereignty negotiations, while the United Kingdom maintains that talks will not take place without the consent of the islands’ inhabitants.

Bolivia has historically supported Argentina’s position, in line with other countries in the region.