There have been calls for Argentina's ambassador to be given a dressing-down after the country's president issued a decree seeking to control shipping to and from the Falkland Islands.
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said that all ships must get prior permission before entering Argentine waters, which Buenos Aires regards as covering the entire South Atlantic continental shelf.
On Wednesday the Foreign Office shrugged off the demand, insisting that the seas around the Falklands are controlled by island authorities and would not be affected by the decree.
"Regulations governing Argentine territorial waters are a matter for the Argentine authorities," said a Foreign Office spokesman. "This does not affect Falkland Islands territorial waters which are controlled by the island authorities."
But the secretary of the Parliamentary all-party group on the Falklands, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell said that Argentina should be told not to meddle in Falklands affairs.
"I hope the Foreign Secretary will call the Argentine ambassador in and tell them this is unacceptable behaviour," he said. "It is 28 years since the Falklands War and it has been made clear to Argentina that they have no say over the Falkland Islands or their territorial waters and they should not try to interfere with them."
Mr Rosindell said that Ms Fernandez's announcement was "a typical political ploy" linked to her wrangle with Britain over oil and gas drilling rights in the south Atlantic. Ship captains should take no notice of the demand to seek permits from Buenos Aires when they pass from international waters into the sea around the Falklands, which are sovereign British waters, he added.
But he added: "Any attempt by Argentina to claim any sort of rights of sovereignty over that region is something we should take very seriously. I don't think we should appease Buenos Aires - we found out what happens last time."
The Foreign Office said the Britain was ready to co-operate with Argentina on South Atlantic issues, and was working to develop relations between the two countries.
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"Argentina and the UK are important partners," said the Foreign Office spokesman. "We have a close and productive relationship on a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, including the global economic situation (particularly in the G20), human rights, climate change, sustainable development and counter-proliferation. And we want, and have offered, to co-operate on South Atlantic issues. We will work to develop this relationship further."
