Now it is time to go to the Falkland Islands again

Today we commit the 40th anniversary of the end of the Falkland War. The conflict was held more than 8,000 miles from Great Britain and was the first since the Second World War in which all elements of our armed forces were involved.

When Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher authorized the military to recapture the Falkland Islands, the country was completely behind the operation. The then Labor leader Michael Foot said that the islanders were "faced with an act of naked, unrestricted aggression, which was carried out among the most shameful and disreputable circumstances".

Great Britain owed an obligation to defend the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands, and a responsibility to protect their UN chart laws in order to determine their own future.

For those who survived the 74 days of the war, a now famous photo has captured both the determined bravery of our troops and the British commitment to the islands: Royal Marine Peter Robinson, who marches on a muddy road towards Port Stanley.

forty years later we appreciate the victims of our armed forces, in particular the 255 British soldiers who lost their lives, and 775 others who were injured in combat. I am proud to join the Veterans of the Falklands, the bereaved and the armed forces today for the National Memory of the Royal British Legion in the National Memorial Arboretum.

If we remember the past, we also commit to the future. Labor in Government will continue to steadfastly defend the sovereignty of the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands and protect the people on the Falkland Islands in harmony with the UN principles of self-determination.

Around 1,000 British soldiers serve on the islands, whereby the 4th battalion of the royal regiment of the Princess of Wales is supposed to lead the next use of the infantry company on the territory. In Great Britain, four RAF-Taifune and a ship of the Royal Navy are permanently stationed there.

We will maintain the military deterrent and economic support of the United Kingdom, while we also strengthen our gang of international friendship and cooperation in the areas of environment, climate change and education. While more than 99 percent of the islanders voted to remain a British overseas area, the Falkland Islands will become increasingly important for the strategic position of Great Britain in the coming decades.

The islands promote the British interests in an area of the world that is becoming more important because Russia and China escalate their activities and access to the South Atlantic - China has built four antarctic stations in the past three decades. They offer Britain a reliable military base and a stable starting ramp for vital global research and environmental protection missions. Great Britain can help Falkland develop into the leading international science center for the South Atlantic.

The Falkland Islands are Great Britain's gate to Antarctic. Since the Antarctic is becoming increasingly competitive for both economic and ecological reasons, Great Britain must also meet its obligations as signatories of the Antarctic Treaty and help to lead international efforts to ensure that this continent is only used for peaceful purposes.

On this 40th anniversary, we remember the victim to defend the Falkland Islands and reaffirm the importance of the islands for our future security.

John Healey MP is the shadow defense minister