Peru’s Foreign Minister Rafael Roncagliolo has backed Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands.

"It's part of our identity, there is a piece of colonial territory in these islands that remains in South America,” he said according to El Comercio.

“The recovery of the Falklands by Argentina is one of the things that binds us to countries which, like Peru, are integrationist," Roncagliolo added.

Roncagliolo also said Peru welcomed Brazil and Uruguay’s initiative to form a group of Latin American countries that would promote regional integration.

"Peru is a country that is totally committed to integration, we have a tradition of integration, particularly in South America, we are the only country in which Bolivar and San Martin both fought, and from there we have an ideal of integration," he said.

Argentina has claimed sovereignty over the Falklands since 1833, when the British occupied the islands.

Argentina and the United Kingdom went to war over the islands on April 2, 1982.

The conflict lasted 74 days and ended on June 14, 1982, when Argentina surrendered.

In 2011 the Argentine government told UN Secretary Genera Ban Ki-Moon they would seek diplomatic relations with the UK, aimed at gaining sovereignty over the Falklands.

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