President Cristina Kirchner demanded Thursday that Britain start talks with Argentina over the Falkland Islands in a UN speech on the 30th anniversary of the end of their war over the disputed territory.

The two countries held rival commemorations to mark the end of Britain's military operation to end a 74-day Argentine occupation of the remote South Atlantic islands.

In London, Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to defend the Falklands against new "aggression" and said there could be no sovereignty negotiations.

Veterans of the 1982 war conflict gathered in the Falklands capital Port Stanley to remember the 255 British soldiers killed. More than 650 Argentines also died in the conflict for the islands known as the Malvinas in Spanish.

Kirchner went to the UN Decolonization Committee where she blasted Britain's control of the Falklands as "an affront to the world which we all dream of" and accused Britain of abusing its position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

But she said, "We do not want more deaths, we do not want more wars."

"We are not asking anyone to say yes, the Malvinas belong to Argentina. We are asking no more, no less than to sit down and talk," she told the committee, a relatively low-level body overwhelmed by the presence of the president and more than 90 of her ministers and officials.

Kirchner sat stony-faced through speeches by two Falklands legislators who complained about Argentina's "bullying" tactics.

One of them, Mike Summers, said Argentina wanted to "air-brush us out of existence, to satisfy its unjustified lust for our land."

Summers tried to hand over a letter offering talks with the Falklands' own government. But he could not get close to Kirchner at the end of the meeting and Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timerman refused to accept the letter.

Members of the Falklands delegations followed Argentine officials through the United Nations trying to hand over the letter.

Kirchner also held talks with UN leader Ban Ki-moon, who "reiterated that his good offices to resolve this dispute remain available if the parties are willing to engage," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.

Britain has insisted however that it will not discuss sovereignty as long as the 3,000 people on the wind-swept islands want to remain under the British flag.

Cameron vowed that Britain would fight off any "aggression from over the water" in his London tribute to the war dead.

"When it comes to the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, there will be absolutely no negotiation," said Cameron, whose Downing Street residence raised the Falklands flag to mark the anniversary.

"This is not some game of global monopoly, with nations passing a territory between them. It's about the islanders determining their own future."

Tensions over the Falklands have risen again in recent months with British diplomats saying that the nationalist Kirchner has raised the temperature because of domestic troubles.

"It is disappointing that the level of rhetoric from the Argentinian government has increased over the Falklands in recent months," said Britain's UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant.

"We ascribe that frankly to a change of politics in Argentina rather than any other change that has happened," Lyall Grant told reporters, adding that relations with Buenos Aires were good on all other issues.

The islands remain a national cause in Argentina however. The Falklands are also of growing strategic importance as analysts believe there are valuable oil reserves under the surrounding sea.

Falklanders brave cold to mark 30 years since war's end
Montevideo (AFP) June 14, 2012 - Hundreds of Falkland Islanders braved snow and strong winds in Port Stanley on Thursday to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the war between Britain and Argentina over the remote territory.

The streets of Port Stanley were decorated with British and Falklands flags for the anniversary, as Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner demanded talks with London over sovereignty of the British-ruled islets in a speech at the UN.

"The celebration of liberation is the most important event of the year," hotel owner Alex Olmedo told AFP by telephone. Dozens of British veterans and journalists stayed at his hotel this week for the events.

The festivities in Port Stanley were full of reflection and expectations for the future ahead of a planned referendum in 2013 on the political status of the oil-rich islands.

"This is an opportunity for Falkland Islanders to celebrate our continued freedom to live as we determine for ourselves and to look forward to a bright and confident future," said Graham Didlick, a bed and breakfast owner at the Darwin settlement on East Falkland.

Local officials say residents have no wish to be ruled by Argentina, but Britain's Latin America Minister Jeremy Browne, who attended the Port Stanley service, said Falklanders had a "fundamental right" to "decide their own destiny."

A military parade was held before the bad weather forced the celebrations to continue inside, at the headquarters of the Defense Force, a volunteer unit whose motto is "Our home, our islands."

"It was incredible to watch them marching all wet," said Catherine Acevedo, a Chilean hotel worker.

A thanksgiving ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral near the waterfront was attended by Browne, along with veterans of the war, the islands' Governor Nigel Haywood, members of the legislative assembly and the commander of British forces.

The names of the 255 British military dead and three Falklands civilians who lost their lives in the war were recited at a separate service on the rocky South Atlantic islands, which are home to fewer than 3,000 people.

At a monument dedicated "to those who liberated us," Browne, Haywood, local lawmakers and British veterans laid wreaths to the British servicemen killed in the brief but bloody conflict.

Around 650 Argentine soldiers were also killed in the conflict, which ended after the Argentine forces who had seized control of the islands were defeated by British troops on June 14, 1982.

Britain has held the Falklands since 1833, but Argentina claims the windswept archipelago, known as Las Malvinas in Spanish, is occupied Argentine territory.

Among those enjoying the war exhibits, food displays and live music was Joe Bossano, former chief minister of Gibraltar, another disputed British territory.

"The 30th anniversary is important, not just to remember with gratitude our liberation, but also to be thankful for the freedom to govern and develop our country as we choose," said Jan Cheek, a member of the Legislative Assembly.

She said lawmakers had initially discussed holding a referendum two years ago.

"We chose this week to make the announcement (about the referendum) because as the 30th anniversary of our liberation, when our political freedom was returned to us -- it is a symbolically important time," Cheek added.

Thousands of miles away in New York, Kirchner -- making a high-profile appearance before a relatively low-level UN committee -- said, "We are asking no more, no less than to sit down and talk" about sovereignty.

But in London, British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to defend the South Atlantic islands from Argentina's "aggression from over the water."